Early childhood education and care
Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:19): My question is to the Premier. It has been six weeks since the horrific allegations of Joshua Brown have been made public. Since then, the government has failed to implement the Ombudsman’s 2022 recommendations to strengthen the working with children check system, voted down legislation to amend child protection laws to keep predators out of childcare centres, refused to create an independent childcare watchdog to replace the failed regulator and allowed a known predator to hold a working with children check despite sexual misconduct against children. Why has the government failed to take action to protect children in Victoria?
Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:20): In rejecting the claim made at the end of the Leader of the Opposition’s question, I will now outline to the house the action that the government has taken since Victoria Police outlined those most horrific allegations of abuse. When Victoria Police was in a position to make those allegations public, the response from the government was to move immediately to introduce the registration scheme for early childhood workers. This was something that had been discussed for some time at federal and state levels, but we decided to act immediately, not wait for a national system to be in place. That is why today there is a registration system in place. If I am recalling the number correctly from the Minister for Children, there are some 11,000 workers now on that registration system.
We have moved to ban personal devices from early childhood settings from the end of September, again not waiting for a national system to be in place. We have also, as a result of work taken back in April – work that has been undertaken by the Attorney and the Minister for Government Services – strengthened the worker-screening unit with regard to the working with children check, which is why we have now already had a stronger system put in place in terms of the information that can be shared by regulators to the worker-screening unit. Also we immediately established the rapid review being led by Jay Weatherill and Pam White, and the purpose of this rapid review was to get the expert advice – and Jay and Pam have been talking to many across the sector – because it comes with that purpose of understanding that the system needs to be strengthened.
I am determined to act, as Premier, to strengthen the safety systems around the early childhood settings, remembering too that these early childhood settings sit in a context where there are regulatory responsibilities between jurisdictions and also information needs to be shared between jurisdictions, which is why the Attorney will be leading work tomorrow at the national meeting of attorneys-general to deal with the question of a national working with children check – arrangements that do need to be in place. Finally, the rapid review that will be received by the government at the end of tomorrow will provide further advice on urgent action to be taken, and I say very clearly that we will be implementing all of these recommendations, moving with urgency to continue to support the safety of children in our early childhood settings.
Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:23): Given the rapid review is to be handed down tomorrow, will the Premier recall Parliament on Monday to pass urgent legislation that is required to protect children in this state?
Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:23): The rapid review will be received by the government tomorrow, and I have been clear that we will be adopting all of those recommendations. I think it is reasonable, and I think most people would take the reasonable view, that given the significance and the importance of the work there will be time needed for the government to take the advice. I have been clear, and I have said this publicly, that we will be moving with urgency to implement the recommendations. I reject the proposition from the Leader of the Opposition. The government has moved to take action in this area, and we will move in a way that also places the safety of children front and centre – not the politics that the Leader of the Opposition is pursuing, but the safety of children.
Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the question is very direct: will the Premier recall Parliament next week?
The SPEAKER: The Premier has concluded her answer.