Thursday, 30 October 2025

 Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:35): (1107) My question is to the Minister for Children. Minister, the Commission for Children and Young People annual report tabled yesterday shows last financial year there were, on average, two allegations of reportable conduct a day in the early childcare sector, a massive 32 per cent increase on the previous year’s figure. Given this, why has your government failed to deliver on your government response to the so-called rapid review to legislate all four changes to improve child safety by this month?

 Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:36): Thank you, Mr Mulholland, for that question. As I discussed earlier in the week, I am grateful for the opportunity to talk about what we are doing immediately, what we have in progress and what we will do in the future in order to improve child safety, because nothing is more important to families who are taking their children to child care and to kindergarten than knowing that their children are safe. Indeed, as the mother of a young child myself, it is not that long since I was doing that drop-off, so it is something that I personally understand: the trust that you put in that your child is safe when you leave them at child care or kinder.

That is exactly why we commissioned a rapid review into child safety earlier in the year. It is exactly why we said we would respond to all 22 recommendations. It is exactly why we have taken through the national process reforms to national law. It is exactly why this week we have introduced a bill to establish an independent early childhood regulator. It is why we continue to work on the reform of the social services regulator, which will include reforms to the reportable conduct scheme. It will include reforms to working with children checks. It will work with the independent regulator to ensure that wherever children are learning, wherever children are playing and wherever children are cared for – whether it is in an education setting, a disability setting or another social service setting – those children are safe. Indeed in a press release associated with the Commission for Children and Young People’s annual report, which was obviously tabled yesterday – and I also want to take this opportunity to thank Meena Singh, who has been acting as the principal commissioner for this difficult period of time; it is worth the house understanding the commitment of the CCYP to these reforms also – they say:

Following the Rapid Child Safety Review, the administration of the Scheme and the Standards are being transferred to the Social Services Regulator. Commissioner Singh welcomed the Government’s promise of action to progress reforms aimed at improving safety for children and young people in Victoria.

‘The transfer is part of the continuing evolution of Victoria’s child safety systems that will see a shift from the initial establishment phase where the Commission set up the Scheme and regulated the Standards, to these systems being placed with a new agency that will also be charged with administering the Working with Children Check.

‘The Commission continues to support this transition in every way we can. We share hope that the Government’s reforms deliver real benefits for children and young people and that their voices continue to be at the centre of action to prevent and respond to child abuse and harm.

With the reforms that we have in part introduced and which we will continue to introduce over coming weeks, as I explained to the house yesterday or the day prior, the national law reform process is one that has to go through the individual cabinets of every jurisdiction around the country. That process is in train, and I look forward to being able to present to the house shortly the subsequent bills.

 Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:39): That is a broken promise. On the supplementary, Minister, the Commission for Children and Young People has been without a permanent commissioner now since March, and with the acting commissioner stepping down, a deputy secretary from the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing is reported to be acting in the role. Given the commission’s position as an independent statutory body to scrutinise this very department, can you explain how this is not a conflict of interest?

 Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:39): Again, I thank Mr Mulholland for his question, and as I said in my opening remarks, I am most grateful to acting commissioner Singh, who has for this very difficult period of time undertaken the role of acting principal commissioner, which was obviously vacated much earlier than the initial statutory appointment of the previous commissioner, who went on to a different role, which meant that necessarily the processes had not yet started before the previous commissioner departed. That process is well underway. We will shortly be announcing a permanent new principal commissioner. Ms Singh, as I said, has acted for us strongly during this period of time, but she was indeed keen to return to her role.

Evan Mulholland: On a point of order, President, on relevance: I have waited quite patiently. I was trying to get the minister to come to the question on how this is not a conflict of interest.

The PRESIDENT: I will call the minister back to the question.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: It was an entirely different question to the substantive question. It is difficult to give a fulsome answer when you ask a separate question rather than a supplementary question. But what I was seeking to explain is that this is the continuation of an interim arrangement that is very temporary while the finalisation of the permanent new commissioner occurs.