15 Queensland   such   as   Longreach,   Townsville,   Mt   Isa,   Hervey   Bay,   Cairns   and Mackay.²⁶  A number of areas held more than one meeting.²⁷ In the Guardianship reference, a public forum was held in Brisbane called “Looking After  the  Affairs  of  People  with  a  Disability,”  attracting  over  two  hundred  people.   After  this  forum,  issues  and  discussion  papers  were  produced  and  further  public meetings were held in Brisbane and regional areas.  Following the release of a Draft Report,  still-further  extensive  consultation  occurred  during  which  public  seminars were  held  in  Brisbane  and  regional  areas.    Meetings  with  relevant  individuals  and organisations were also held to facilitate discussion concerning the reforms proposed by the Commission. Consultation  meetings  of  this  kind  serve  two  important  purposes:  they  provide members of the public with an opportunity to raise their concerns and express their views;  they  also  enable  the  Commission  to  perform  an  educational  role,  with  the result, hopefully, of eliciting submissions that are made from an informed position. Public consultation can also occur in an indirect manner.  Organisations that make a submission  to  the  Commission  themselves  often  hold  smaller  scale  consultations during the preparation of their submission to the Commission.  Thus, the Commission has received the views of the members of the public potentially affected by proposed law  reform,  albeit  without  holding  the  public  consultation  itself.    For  example,  a submission  received  from  the  Children’s  Commission  of  Queensland,  in  relation  to the paper on Children’s evidence,²⁸ was compiled following consultations with police officers,  defence  lawyers,  doctors,  therapists,  counsellors,  youth  and  social  workers and children and young people or their parents.  This submission was quite valuable because  it  provided  the  perspectives  of  numerous  actors  involved  in  the  taking  and giving  of  children’s  evidence.    In  particular,  the  Children  Commission’s  access  to children and young people who had actually given evidence provided information to the  Commission  on  the  actual  experience  of  giving  evidence.    The  Children’s                                                 26   Report no. 49 at 9. 27   Two  meetings  were  held  at  Gold  Coast,  Longreach,  Townsville,  Mt  Isa,  QE  II  Hospital,  Royal Children’s Hospital, Rockhampton and Brisbane.  Three meetings were held at Cairns. 28   Queensland  Law  Reform  Commission  The  Receipt  of  Evidence  by  Queensland  Courts:  The Evidence of Children Discussion Paper No. 53 (1998).