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Fentiman won't resign over foster concerns

Qld's child safety minister says she has no intention of standing down despite calls for her resignation in the wake of Tiahleigh Palmer's death in foster care.

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Source: AAP


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Queensland's child safety minister has rejected calls for her resignation in the wake of problems with the state's foster care system.

Shannon Fentiman has come under fire since foster carer Rick Thorburn was charged with the murder of schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer last week.

But she told ABC Radio calls for her resignation were coming from the state opposition, not from stakeholders.

"Calls for my resignation are only coming from the LNP," she said.

"This is not the feedback that I'm getting from stakeholders, key stakeholders, that are now part of this expert panel that will be reviewing blue cards and foster care approvals."

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Opposition leader Tim Nicholls on Sunday called on Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to sack Ms Fentiman over her handling of the portfolio.

"It's time Annastacia Palaszczuk did the right thing by Queensland's most vulnerable children and sacked this incompetent Child Safety Minister."

Ms Palaszczuk has announced an expert panel will be set up to assist a review into the child safety system in the wake of the charges being laid against Thorburn and his family.

Thorburn's son Trent, 19, has been charged with incest, perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice while his wife Julene, 54, and another son Josh, 20, have both been charged with perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Tiahleigh lived with the family for 10 months before she was allegedly murdered in October last year and police are continuing to scour the family's home at Chambers Flat, south of Brisbane, for evidence.


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