Importantly, among the 'everyone' who shares the onerous responsibility of protecting our children is the media. The media plays a vital role in promoting accountability, facilitating public debate and ensuring that the best interests of children always remain at the forefront of our concerns. This makes media outlets and individuals who report on child protection matters also subject to our demands for the highest level of honesty, due diligence and care. Unfortunately, Bill O'Chee in authoring his article, Dying abused girl: could you say a prayer for me? falls abysmally short of the mark in meeting these standards.

To correct just a few of the wildly inaccurate claims reported on in Mr O'Chee's article, it is noted that at the time of the State Budget being announced the Child Safety Department had 166 more staff than two years ago, most of whom were employed in front-line positions. Additionally, 230 more positions have been created within non-government organisations as a result of new family support services being established, with more positions to be created over coming months as the roll-out of these new services continues. These facts refute Mr O'Chee's claim that additional money has not been spent on front-line staff. It may well be that even more front-line staff are needed and even greater investment is needed in family support services, but it is far from honest for Mr O'Chee to not acknowledge the efforts that have been made so far, both by the former Newman government and the current Palaszczuk government in bolstering front-line service delivery to children and their families. It is also incredibly disrespectful of the enormous efforts made by non-government organisations in quickly getting the new family support services up and running and already showing signs of very promising results.

Interestingly, Mr O'Chee criticised the Palaszczuk government for allowing its expenditure to become "soaked up in administrative positons, such as establishing an Office of the Child and Family Official Solicitor". The establishment of the official solicitor role was, in fact, one of the key recommendations made by the year-long Carmody Child Protection Inquiry that was concluded in 2014. It also beggars belief that Mr O'Chee reported on an accusation that now that a Labor government is in power, money is being "soaked up" by reviews. The most expensive review of Queensland's child protection system conducted in many years was, in fact, the Carmody Inquiry. It cost $9 million and was, in fact, initiated by the Newman government. It was a review that was necessary and if the major reforms recommended by the inquiry are able to proceed as intended, it will have been worth every cent spent on it.

As an independent, non-partisan peak body, PeakCare rarely agrees with any government of the day about all aspects of their policy directions and, of course, we are always advocating for higher levels of resourcing. Within both the current Palaszczuk government and the former Newman government however, we have dealt with ministers - Tracy Davis and Shannon Fentiman - who were respectful of our opinions and whose personal commitment to child protection clearly exceeded their 'political' interests.

Like all advocacy groups, PeakCare was greatly disturbed by the death of Mason Jet Lee. Upon release of the findings of reviews being undertaken into Mason's death, we will be insistent upon the rectification of any problems whatsoever that may have contributed to this tragedy.

In the meantime, irresponsible reporting of inaccurate and poorly researched information seemingly based on spurious claims made by one or two nameless child safety staff or carers cheapens the quality of the public discussion that should be taking place about the much-needed program of child protection reforms. If Mr O'Chee's article was intended to provoke 'mud-slinging' by politicians, our hope is that our elected representatives from both sides of politics will draw on their personal integrity in resisting his provocation and engage in well-informed debate that is worthy of them.

Child protection is complex. Given this complexity, the Queensland public deserves nothing less than high quality media commentary, especially when the commentary is about a matter as sensitive as the death of a child. If it is beyond the capacity of Mr O'Chee to respect this complexity and sensitively report on child protection in a manner that honours journalistic integrity, he perhaps should look towards finding something else to write about.

Lindsay Wegener is executive director of PeakCare Queensland, a child protection peak body.