Bruce and Denise Morcombe have asked federal politicians to support a national safety curriculum which they say will help prevent sex abuses like those perpetrated by the recently-jailed Rolf Harris.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Morcombes, whose son was murdered in 2003, worked the corridors of Parliament House on Wednesday and Thursday, meeting dozens of politicians from across the political spectrum in a bid to see the program named in memory of their son adopted across Australia.
''If (Harris' young female victims) had the mechanisms back then and weren't scared to report it, he would have been found out earlier,'' Mrs Morcombe told Fairfax Media.
''We can't change what's happened but we can learn from that,'' Mr Morcombe added.
''That's what the Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum is all about. It's learning that we can do this better.''
The curriculum was developed with the Queensland goverment and has been in place there since 2012. It is taught to students up to year nine and focuses on teaching children to ''recognise, react and report'' in dangerous situations. It covers issues that range from basic everyday safety to abuse.
Education Minister Christoper Pyne requested earlier this year that the government's review of the national curiculum also consider the child safety curriculum.
Mr and Mrs Morcombe say the positive feedback from the program has been ''massive''. In two instances, cases of abuse were reported to schools immediately following visits from the Morcombes.
The pair have met with parliamentary secretary Paul Fletcher (responsible for cybersafety), Labor's Anthony Albanese, Health Minister Peter Dutton and Assistant Minister for Education Sussan Ley. Speaker Bronwyn Bishop publicly acknowledged their presence in the public gallery during Wednesday's question time.
Since last year, they've also talked to Minister Pyne and Clive Palmer, whose electorate of Fairfax is near the Morcombes' home on the Sunshine Coast.
Mr Morcombe is hopeful of success.
''Everybody's been very receptive and supportive,'' he said.
The Morcombes have become seasoned campaigners since Daniel was murdered in 2003.
They started the Daniel Morcombe Foundation almost ten years ago and say it has been an encouraging and ''eye-opening'' experience that has strengthened their resolve.
In March this year, Brett Cowan was found guilty of Daniel's murder and sentenced to life in prison.
The recommendations of the national curriculum review, chaired by Kevin Donnelly and Kenneth Wiltshire, are due at the end of July.
