Editorial - Tuesday, November 19: Good Move, Poor Timing

By Jenna Cairney
The Daily Examiner
November 19, 2013

http://www.dailyexaminer.com.au/news/good-move-poor-timing/2087902/

IT MAY have been coincidence rather than conniving but neither is really good enough.

I'm talking about the timing of the announcement of the new bishop of the Grafton Diocese.

The timing of the announcement on the first day of the public inquiry's hearing into evidence of child abuse at the Anglican Church's North Coast Children's Home was insensitive.

By all accounts the evidence heard yesterday was harrowing and heartbreaking.

It's hard to think of adults breaking down in the witness stand recounting what they had to endure as children.

No matter how much time has passed, as they stand there grown up and safe, the reality of their past was so grim our reporter had to omit some of those details.

We believe the timing of the announcement of the new bishop was poor.

It was insensitive to the victims.

We do not wish for the new bishop to be impacted as collateral damage and we consider the timing is unfair to her also.

It is, of course, marvellous news to see this Australian milestone in the Anglican Church.

Dr Sarah Macneil will have a mammoth job on her hands taking on this job at such a fragile and confronting time.

We want to applaud the appointment and wish the church a bright and positive future.

We just didn't want to do that yesterday.

Yesterday was for Tommy and the 200 or so North Coast children like him.