Tuesday, 9 December 2025

 Jess WILSON (Kew – Leader of the Opposition) (14:01): My question is to the Premier. A report by the commissioner for children and young people has found 10 child deaths occurred in circumstances where case management advice was not followed. Why is the government failing to protect vulnerable children?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:02): In acknowledging the question from the Liberal Party leader, I want to at the outset acknowledge that the death of any young child is indeed a tragedy, particularly when it goes to those children that are the responsibility of and in the care of the state and are therefore brought to the attention of the children and young persons commissioner. It is indeed a tragedy because they are already vulnerable ahead of the tragic circumstances surrounding their deaths. I will say, though, that given the vulnerabilities around each child, given the individual circumstances around each case of each child, I most strongly and strenuously disagree with the political characterisation by the Leader of the Liberal Party around the observations about state care. Anyone who has had any responsibility, portfolio or shadow portfolio or as members of Parliament, knows the tremendous work that those who work in child protection and in caring for most vulnerable children do. They care deeply for the children in their care. They work tirelessly, and I will not have this political characterisation by the Liberal Party as put forward today by the leader.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, this question went to the government’s lack of responsibility in relation to those 10 tragic deaths, and I would ask you to bring the Premier back to that very tragic set of circumstances.

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

Jacinta ALLAN: As I was saying, I was strenuously rejecting the substance of the question, and indeed I was using this as an opportunity to thank everyone who works in this area. It is one of the most difficult areas of government service delivery, which is why we support workers in this sector. We will continue to support them as they work with the most vulnerable children in the state.

 Jess WILSON (Kew – Leader of the Opposition) (14:04): The commissioner’s report also found this included a failure in one case to respond to repeated reports of neglect of very young siblings. Premier, why were repeated reports of neglect of a vulnerable child ignored?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:04): Again, the report went into a range of circumstances around each of these families. These are incredibly vulnerable families, and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all children is indeed a priority of everyone who works across the child protection sector. That is why I will always continue to thank them for their work, support their work and not politicise their work like the Liberal Party is doing today.