Thursday, 31 July 2025

Early childhood education and care

Roma BRITNELL (South-West Coast) (14:15): My question is to the Premier. The Minister for Children has overseen inquiries into the deaths of 45 children who have been known to child protection; 190 reports of child sexual exploitation; 600 major abuse incidents in just six months; a four-month vacancy in the children’s commissioner’s role; the commissioner’s failure to refer Joshua Brown’s case to the working with children check system; and substantiated complaints against Brown, who was later charged with 73 child abuse offences after working in 24 centres, after a warning from the commissioner that abuse investigations would stall without more funding. Does the Premier stand by her comments that this is a minister of the ‘highest quality’?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:17): The answer is yes, and I will detail again, for the benefit of the member for South-West Coast and the entire house, the reasons why. Part of the reason why I have complete confidence in the Minister for Children is not only because of what I said yesterday about the minister being of the highest integrity, the hardest working minister, the minister who every night takes home briefs that anyone who has worked in this sector knows are the hardest of briefs in government to read, because every day she is dealing with some of the worst of our society and how they treat children. I not only respect the work of the Minister for Children but admire her, because she is not just deeply committed to protecting the children today but working damn hard on policies and reform for the system of the future.

We know that the work of protecting children should never rest, that there are evil agents in our community who look for vulnerabilities in systems to prey on the most vulnerable. We have seen reports coming out of Sydney today. We saw reports coming out of, I think it was, Queensland a couple of days ago. We have seen reports where, as I said, there are evil people who seek the vulnerable people in vulnerable systems. They seek the vulnerable points, I should say, in systems and act in the worst of ways. Individuals like the minister –

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, the commissioner for children and youth made dire warnings two years ago. I would ask you to ask the Premier –

Members interjecting.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! I could not hear the point of order.

Bridget Vallence: Deputy Speaker, the Commissioner for Children and Young People made dire warnings two years ago. On relevance, I would ask you to ask the Premier to come back to this very question.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I think the point of order was on relevance. It was very hard to hear, as per yesterday; so far, we have been better. I do not uphold the point of order.

Jacinta ALLAN: As I was saying, in terms of the work of our government’s Minister for Children, it is dedicated to the task of keeping children safe in working with those who are in the child protection system, who are across the foster care system – kids in school settings, in early childhood settings, who, can I say, need someone like the Minister for Children on their side. And questions like those from the member for South-West Coast – the content of that question – demonstrate very clearly the contrast between the work and the dedication and the integrity of the Minister for Children and those opposite. Riven by bitter division, they reflect on the Minister for Children.

Roma BRITNELL (South-West Coast) (14:21): Did the Premier or your budget and finance committee receive a request from the Minister for Children for additional funding for the commissioner for children?

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I would remind members that ‘you’ refers to the Chair.

Mary-Anne Thomas: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, the first question asked by the member on her feet was in relation to whether or not the Premier had confidence in her Minister for Children. The supplementary question was in relation to budget decisions. I fail to see how the supplementary question is related to the first question. I ask that you call the supplementary question out of order.

Bridget Vallence: On the point of order, Deputy Speaker, there is an absolute link between both the substantive and the supplementary question, because it refers to the Minister for Children and the Commissioner for Children and Young People. I would ask you to rule the Leader of the House’s point of order out of order.

Roma BRITNELL: On the point of order, Deputy Speaker, one of the points made in the substantive question is a warning from the commissioner that abuse allegation investigations would stall without more funding. The supplementary refers to the additional funding.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I will allow the question.

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:23): I will say this about the Minister for Children: every conversation I have with the Minister for Children is about how we can do more, whether it is about delivering programs like free kinder for children around the state or how we can continue to strengthen the system to keep children safe. The Minister for Children –

Members interjecting.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Lowan can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Lowan withdrew from chamber.

Jacinta ALLAN: And I say this: the line of questioning again demonstrates why Victoria’s vulnerable children need someone like the Minister for Children on their side, compared to the lack of integrity from those opposite.

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, on relevance, the question is about if a funding request has been made, and the Premier has gone nowhere near that question. I would ask you to ask her to come back to that, on relevance.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The question referred to the Minister for Children and the commissioner for children. The Premier was being relevant. I cannot dictate, as we all know, to the Premier how to answer the question. The Premier has completed her answer.