Thursday, 14 August 2025

 Nick McGOWAN (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (17:51): (1857) Seventy-eight days – we have exactly 78 days until Parentline closes, although we hope that will not occur. I say that because we have been here before. I have said it in this place, and I have made a commitment to raise Parentline each and every day that I am in Parliament from now until at least 31 October – but in addition to that, obviously, to work with those of a like mind to try and save Parentline.

For those of you who are not familiar in this place with the work of Parentline, Parentline is a dedicated helpline for parents. It is not just here to assist the young people, as we are familiar with the work of the maternal healthcare line. This line has been in existence for a very long period of time and helps all those parents of children from five to 18. It is a manned – staffed – helpline with experts in their field. It is a team of people who range in their professions from social workers to psychologists to teachers, and their dedication is that they, each and every day from 8 am to midnight, provide professional support to parents when they need it most.

To put that in context, we live in a state, right now here in Victoria, where we have the second-highest number of claimed child abuse reports. I will say that again: we have the second highest number of claimed child abuse reports in the country. Overlay that with the fact that we have perhaps one of the greatest crises in child care and the confidence parents can have in respect to their own children’s safety. Notwithstanding there is a review currently on foot, now is not, I put it to this government, the time to actually do away with this service. This is a service that we know only costs $1.3 million – $1.3 million, 15 part-time dedicated professional staff, one full-time team leader, a service that services over 17,800 phone calls a year, and there is no plan to replace it.

The government’s plan is to simply absorb all these other responsibilities into other services which are not specialised, which cannot deal with this problem and the problems that parents increasingly face, whether it is digital, online safety, whether it is claims of child abuse, or whether it is just a question of them handling their own children. My question tonight is for the minister for child safety and the minister for child protection, and it actually relates to clause 11 under the proposed changes. The minister and the government are required to consult, and I would ask the minister to both consult with the union who represents those 15 dedicated workers and the one full-time leader and to change its mind – do what they have done before and abandon its plan to close Parentline.