Wednesday, 8 June 2022

 Dr BACH (Eastern Metropolitan) (12:04): My question is for the Minister for Workplace Safety. Minister, on 12 April my colleague the member for Ferntree Gully in the other place and shadow minister for workplace safety and I wrote to WorkSafe Victoria and the principal commissioner for children and young people regarding the ongoing violence occurring in Victoria’s youth justice facilities, requesting that they consider conducting a joint inquiry. The commissioner responded two days later, on 14 April, and we subsequently had a meeting with her. To date the CEO of WorkSafe Victoria, to whom my correspondence was directed, has not responded. Will you intervene, Minister, and request that he responds to our communication regarding the very serious workplace issues occurring in these facilities?

 Ms STITT (Western Metropolitan—Minister for Workplace Safety, Minister for Early Childhood) (12:05): I thank Dr Bach for his question regarding matters in relation to our corrections facilities and in particular youth justice facilities. Dr Bach would be aware that the portfolio minister, Minister Hutchins in the other place, is deeply engaged over these issues in terms of the safety of both our youth in our youth justice facilities and the staff that work there. And can I take a moment just to acknowledge the difficult and challenging work that those workers in our youth justice facilities are doing and commend them for their efforts.

I am aware, Dr Bach, that there has been correspondence regarding these matters requesting that WorkSafe and the Commission for Children and Young People consider conducting an inquiry into Victoria’s youth justice facilities. I note that WorkSafe has already contributed to previous inquiries into Victoria’s youth justice facilities. The most recent, Inquiry into Youth Justice Centres in Victoria, was tabled in Parliament on 6 March 2018 and highlighted the workplace changes needed to provide a safe workplace for employees and detainees, and that work has been ongoing. WorkSafe certainly supports the recommendations set out in the inquiry and notes the development of a new adult corrections facility due in 2022 and new youth justice facilities due in approximately 2023. And as you would be aware, both of those facilities will be run by the Department of Justice and Community Safety.

As to the specifics of whether or not the CEO of WorkSafe or indeed the commissioner for children and young people have responded to your correspondence, that is not a matter that I am advised on. I have got no issue with taking that part of your question on notice, but I do note that there has been significant work underway by the government and significant work, which I have already detailed in the house previously, by WorkSafe to support these issues.

 Dr BACH (Eastern Metropolitan) (12:07): I thank the minister for her response and note of course that she is correct that WorkSafe has engaged in previous inquiries. However, since then, workers themselves report that the environment at our two youth justice facilities has become increasingly ‘toxic’—the word they use. Others have reported that they fear for their lives at work. For example, just in April at Malmsbury two senior managers were very seriously assaulted. One may never work again. Minister, will you support an inquiry, as I have called for, into the full state of affairs in the dangerous workplace that youth justice workers in Victoria are currently subjected to?

 Ms STITT (Western Metropolitan—Minister for Workplace Safety, Minister for Early Childhood) (12:08): I thank Dr Bach for his supplementary, which does draw a pretty long bow from his substantive question, and I would just point out that I am not the portfolio minister responsible for youth justice. That matter is far better directed to my colleague Minister Hutchins in the other place. I have also indicated in some detail in the house—directly to you, Dr Bach, I believe—in relation to the significant work that is underway in terms of WorkSafe’s role as the independent safety regulator, that I do not direct their enforcement and compliance activities. It would be completely inappropriate for me to do so, and I do not see that the example that you are outlining in the house today is any different to that.