Wednesday, 30 July 2025

Early childcare education and care

Jess WILSON (Kew) (14:12): My question is to the Premier. A childcare centre where alleged childcare abuser Joshua Brown worked was on a high-risk watchlist in the months before he worked there. After Joshua Brown was employed, the centre was taken off the high-risk watchlist because it was compliant. Premier, why did the government take this centre off the high-risk watchlist?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:12): In answering the question from the member for Kew, I again say it is important that we speak to these matters based on evidence and fact and not assumption, and not cast assumptions that only –

Members interjecting.

Jacinta ALLAN: I remind the member for Kew, although I do feel that I perhaps do not need to remind the member for Kew, because I am sure she is well aware, that this is an independent regulator who regulates the early childhood setting. Of course it is –

Members interjecting.

Jacinta ALLAN: I will remind those opposite that government regulators are often found within government, and the work of those regulators, particularly in the early childhood setting, covers many, many centres across both the not-for-profit and the for-profit childcare settings. They work incredibly hard across all of those settings. As for why there was a change in the decision made by the regulator, that is a matter for the regulator in terms of how they consider it. But I have acknowledged in terms of the broader issues here that the system does need to be strengthened, that there is more work that needs to be done and that work has been underway in these national profit and not-for-profit childcare and early childhood settings, which is why in Victoria we are not waiting for the national frameworks to be strengthened.

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, the Premier is debating the question. This is a government department, and we would ask the Premier to come back to that very narrow question.

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

Jacinta ALLAN: As I was saying, as these centres operate under the regulation that is enacted by the state, that sits in that national framework, we are not waiting for that national framework to be strengthened. It is why we have already moved to have the register of early childhood workers established in this state. It is why we are moving to ban personal devices. Again I will make it clear to the house: as a result of the urgent review that is being undertaken, if further changes need to be made, we stand ready to make them to keep children safe.

Bridget Vallence: Deputy Speaker, I renew the point of order that the Premier is debating the question. This is about why the centre was taken off the watchlist. I would ask you to ask the Premier to come back to that question.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The Premier to come back to the question. The Premier has finished her answer.

Jess WILSON (Kew) (14:15): Does the Premier have full confidence in her government’s childcare regulator?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:15): Taking all the politics and the different views, I can understand why the member for Kew has asked this question, because I know parents are asking this question. It is a deeply legitimate question. It is a challenging role of the –

Members interjecting.

Jacinta ALLAN: Because as a parent I have asked that question as well.

Members interjecting.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Serious questions should be listened to if you want to hear answers.

Jacinta ALLAN: Again, out of respect to the member for Kew’s question, it is a legitimate question that many parents are asking and as members of Parliament we are asking as well. The work that the regulator is doing is in a very challenging environment across the profit and not-for-profit sectors. That is why we are having a review, and we will take the actions out of that review.