Aussie gov't pursues "deadbeat" parents for unpaid child support payments
Source: Xinhua   2018-05-27 11:34:50

CANBERRA, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Record numbers of Australian parents with outstanding child support debts are being stopped from travelling overseas, with more than one parent a day being prevented from boarding planes or ships until they pay.

Under the Australian law, both parents in a divorce settlement are expected to contribute to the financial support of their children. The child support payment amounts are decided by the courts.

Human Services Minister Michael Keenan, on Sunday highlighted the increasing problem of "deadbeat" parents in Australia, a term given to those parents who deliberately ignored court orders and refused to pay for support of their children who were often living with their former partners.

Keenan said many of those parents stopped at airports and sea ports were able to immediately pay their debts, which he said showed they had the means to support their children but were choosing not to.

After being stopped at an airport last year, one parent paid 266,000 U.S. dollars in a single payment. Another parent paid 42,000 U.S. dollars on the spot, while, in a separate case, a parent who had been residing overseas and returned briefly to Australia paid 21,000 U.S. dollars in a lump-sum.

"If a parent can afford to take an overseas holiday ... they can and should be made to pay what they owe," Keenan said in a statement on Sunday. "The welfare of their children should be their first priority, not getting a tan on a beach in Bali."

In the first 10 months of this financial year, 358 people were stopped at the point of departure and given a choice to pay the outstanding child support or cancel their travel plans, surpassing the previous full-year record.

Those 358 parents repaid 7.9 million U.S. dollars in child maintenance, eclipsing the record of 7.5 million U.S. dollars repaid by 333 people last financial year.

Under a joint operation between Australia's Child Support Agency and Border Force, parents who owe their former partners and children support can be prevented from travelling overseas until they pay up.

Keenan said many of those stopped had repeatedly ignored attempts by the Department of Human Services to help them pay through voluntarily repayment plans.

"This is money first of all that you owe your own children, and we believe that should be your priority, quite frankly, rather than travelling overseas," he told Sky News.

"Now if you have a debt that you owe to your own family and we catch you trying to leave Australia, then we will stop you from leaving until you pay that debt in full, and quite frankly I think that's appropriate, because these debts are incurred by people for the support of their own children, and that is a pretty important responsibility and obligation that you have as a parent."

"It's only one thing that we do, of course, it's only one weapon in our arsenal, but it has proved to be very effective."

"We've actually had somebody pay 350,000 dollars on the spot, which shows you that it's not an issue of capacity to pay, it's just an issue of refusing to fulfil your obligations to your own family."

When a parent is stopped and pays the outstanding child support, the money goes to the department and it is then transferred to the parent who is entitled to receive the funds.

Most of those stopped were trying to leave New South Wales. Figures for the first nine months of the current financial year showed 89 parents were stopped trying to leave that state, compared with 69 in Queensland, 51 in Victoria, 50 in Western Australia and 11 in South Australia.

Editor: Yamei
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Aussie gov't pursues "deadbeat" parents for unpaid child support payments

Source: Xinhua 2018-05-27 11:34:50
[Editor: huaxia]

CANBERRA, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Record numbers of Australian parents with outstanding child support debts are being stopped from travelling overseas, with more than one parent a day being prevented from boarding planes or ships until they pay.

Under the Australian law, both parents in a divorce settlement are expected to contribute to the financial support of their children. The child support payment amounts are decided by the courts.

Human Services Minister Michael Keenan, on Sunday highlighted the increasing problem of "deadbeat" parents in Australia, a term given to those parents who deliberately ignored court orders and refused to pay for support of their children who were often living with their former partners.

Keenan said many of those parents stopped at airports and sea ports were able to immediately pay their debts, which he said showed they had the means to support their children but were choosing not to.

After being stopped at an airport last year, one parent paid 266,000 U.S. dollars in a single payment. Another parent paid 42,000 U.S. dollars on the spot, while, in a separate case, a parent who had been residing overseas and returned briefly to Australia paid 21,000 U.S. dollars in a lump-sum.

"If a parent can afford to take an overseas holiday ... they can and should be made to pay what they owe," Keenan said in a statement on Sunday. "The welfare of their children should be their first priority, not getting a tan on a beach in Bali."

In the first 10 months of this financial year, 358 people were stopped at the point of departure and given a choice to pay the outstanding child support or cancel their travel plans, surpassing the previous full-year record.

Those 358 parents repaid 7.9 million U.S. dollars in child maintenance, eclipsing the record of 7.5 million U.S. dollars repaid by 333 people last financial year.

Under a joint operation between Australia's Child Support Agency and Border Force, parents who owe their former partners and children support can be prevented from travelling overseas until they pay up.

Keenan said many of those stopped had repeatedly ignored attempts by the Department of Human Services to help them pay through voluntarily repayment plans.

"This is money first of all that you owe your own children, and we believe that should be your priority, quite frankly, rather than travelling overseas," he told Sky News.

"Now if you have a debt that you owe to your own family and we catch you trying to leave Australia, then we will stop you from leaving until you pay that debt in full, and quite frankly I think that's appropriate, because these debts are incurred by people for the support of their own children, and that is a pretty important responsibility and obligation that you have as a parent."

"It's only one thing that we do, of course, it's only one weapon in our arsenal, but it has proved to be very effective."

"We've actually had somebody pay 350,000 dollars on the spot, which shows you that it's not an issue of capacity to pay, it's just an issue of refusing to fulfil your obligations to your own family."

When a parent is stopped and pays the outstanding child support, the money goes to the department and it is then transferred to the parent who is entitled to receive the funds.

Most of those stopped were trying to leave New South Wales. Figures for the first nine months of the current financial year showed 89 parents were stopped trying to leave that state, compared with 69 in Queensland, 51 in Victoria, 50 in Western Australia and 11 in South Australia.

[Editor: huaxia]
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