Tuesday, 7 March 2023

Minister for Child Protection and Family Services

Matthew BACH (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (13:19): President, it is a close-run thing, but I have made a decision. Of the five child protection ministers I have gone up against in this place in the last two years, Minister Blandthorn is now my favourite. At the end of question time I made a mistake. I stood up and I said she had not responded to a question I asked two weeks ago. She was right; she had responded – she had responded 5 minutes before. I had asked a question last sitting Thursday about a report that I have seen – I was not sure if the minister had seen it – into the economic costs of foster care. The minister took two weeks to respond. During question time she responded, ‘I have the report’.

Georgie Crozier: Is that all she said?

Matthew BACH: That was her response in full. So it has been interesting to me since facing off against the minister – because I had never faced off against the minister; they have always been in the other house – that Minister Blandthorn has been deemed by you, President, to be the most evasive minister in the government. More times than any other in the government she has been deemed to be in breach of standing order 8.07 and forced to respond in writing. And when she does respond in writing she gives me tidbits like that. So I want to help the minister.

I also put a matter to her in the adjournment debate last week about same-sex adoption. I asked how often this has happened, because the Premier last question time said that it was a fabulous thing – and I agree, by the way – that some years ago we legislated for same-sex adoption. Mr Dimopoulos at the time said, ‘Why should the thousands of gay foster carers not be able to adopt kids?’ I have now found out, Minister, that on fewer than five occasions since 2017 same-sex couples in Victoria have been able to adopt, so do not worry about that question.