Tuesday, 29 July 2025

Early childhood education and care

Jess WILSON (Kew) (14:11): My question is to the Premier. In 2022, three years ago, the Ombudsman recommended that the government strengthen the working with children check system. Since then, horrific allegations of child sexual abuse in Victorian childcare centres have come to light. Why did the government fail to implement the Ombudsman’s recommendations?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:11): In thanking the member for Kew for her question, I reiterate my earlier comments around the priority of the safety of children, which is why a number of months ago we moved to strengthen the working with children check, which is why the Worker Screening Regulations have been strengthened and we will see that people who have been banned in those early childhood education settings can have their working with children check revoked. As a result of the rapid review that we have called, led by Jay Weatherill and Pam White –

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, on relevance, the Ombudsman recommended this in 2022. It is a very narrow question: why has the government failed to implement this recommendation?

Mary-Anne Thomas: On the point of order, Deputy Speaker, the Manager of Opposition Business knows full well that points of order are not an opportunity to repeat the question. She has already done that three times now, and we are less than 15 minutes into question time. I ask that you rule her point of order out of order and counsel her against wasting the house’s time.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: A point of order from whichever side is not an opportunity for debate. The Premier was being relevant to the question on the working with children checks, and I ask her to continue.

Jacinta ALLAN: As I was saying prior to the taking of the point of order, the rapid review is being undertaken by Jay Weatherill and Pam White. I do not want to anticipate what that review will recommend to government, but if it makes recommendations around strengthening the system, then we will act on those recommendations.

Jess WILSON (Kew) (14:14): Premier, why was reform to the system designed to keep our children safe not a priority for the Labor government in 2022 or in the three years that have since passed?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:14): I want to be absolutely clear that I reject in the firmest of terms the allegations that have been put by the member for Kew. It is not politics that will strengthen the system; it is a commitment and taking action.

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, it is a serious topic. Children do not deserve another review. I would ask you to ask the Premier to come back to the very narrow question, on relevance.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The Premier was being relevant to the system in the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: I have been clear that the system does need to be strengthened; it needs to be strengthened here in Victoria and around Australia. It is why the urgent actions that we have taken – not waiting for the national forums to bring about the actions around having a register of childcare workers and the bringing about of a ban on personal devices – will be in place here in Victoria in coming weeks, across August and September. We have already moved to strengthen the working with children check system, and we will go further on the advice of the experts that will come from the rapid review.