Thursday, 30 October 2025

 Anasina GRAY-BARBERIO (Northern Metropolitan) (12:41): (1108) My question is also to the Minister for Children. Minister, the Commission for Children and Young People’s latest annual report shows a disturbing surge in abuse and misconduct reports in early childhood services. Reports in preschools and kindergartens are up 78 per cent and in long day care they are up 30 per cent, all in the past year. Minister, you have said funding has increased, but the commission’s funding rise has not even kept up with inflation. Reports have risen 178 per cent, and that funding covers the commission’s entire responsibilities, not just the reportable conduct scheme. The Commission for Children and Young People has said it has been forced to scale back oversight, leaving the heads of organisations to investigate abuse themselves. Minister, is the current funding enough for the commission to properly oversee all 2232 reportable allegations it received between July 2024 and June 2025?

 Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:42): I thank Ms Gray-Barberio for her question. As I spoke to in my initial answer to Mr Mulholland’s substantive question, the commission spoke in its annual report to a growing number of reportable conduct scheme matters, and we would argue that growth in the number of reportable conduct scheme matters shows that people are indeed fulfilling their obligations and reporting matters as they come to light, as they are required to by the scheme. But as we found in our Rapid Child Safety Review, there is certainly room for improvement in how the reportable conduct scheme could be established. And we have announced that we are moving the reportable conduct scheme from the Commission for Children and Young People to a more holistic framework within the Social Services Regulator, where we will bring together the reportable conduct scheme, the child safe standards, the working with children check, the regulation of disability services and the regulation of other social services, with very clear functions for the Social Services Regulator to work with the independent early education regulator, the bill for which we have introduced this week – and I look forward to the support of the house, given the commitment and the demonstration of such in these questions.

When it comes to the funding previously for the reportable conduct scheme within the commission and the commission’s overall funding, firstly, I would say that the premise of the question should be rejected. The Commission for Children and Young People has a budget of $14.2 million for 2025–26 to undertake its statutory functions. This is an increase from its budget of $6.4 million in 2015–16, and it represents an increase of more than 120 per cent to its budget since 2015–16. Obviously, as those opposite have just spoken to, it is a statutory entity and the way in which the commission uses its funding to meet its priorities is indeed a decision for the commission.

 Anasina GRAY-BARBERIO (Northern Metropolitan) (12:44): Minister, I appreciate that the commission determines its budget independently, but leaving the heads of organisations to investigate abuse within their own centres creates the obvious risks that we find ourselves facing right now. It leaves gaps that allow negligent for-profit centres to protect their reputation and put profits before the safety of toddlers and babies at preschool, kinder and day care. The commission found organisations were reluctant to substantiate allegations as ‘sexual misconduct’, even when the evidence clearly showed it was sexual misconduct. Will the government commit to targeted funding for the reportable conduct scheme, now that you have confirmed it is moving to the Social Services Regulator, so that it has the resources to fully oversee every reportable allegation and finally put children’s safety first?

 Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:45): I thank Ms Gray-Barberio for her supplementary question. As I said at the outset in my answer to Mr Mulholland’s substantive question, there absolutely is a recognition through our rapid review and through the response to the rapid review, where the government has said we will accept every one of the 22 recommendations: those that are advocating for improvements to national law and national systems, and those which directly relate to Victoria. One of the things we have very publicly said, and I am absolutely committed to and have been committed to across all of my portfolios, is a less complex, more user-friendly regulatory system and complaints mechanism that brings all complaints together and leaves no red flags unchecked. When we talk about the reforms that we are making to the Social Services Regulator, bringing in the reportable conduct scheme, bringing in the child safe standards –

Anasina Gray-Barberio: On a point of order, President, I appreciate the minister’s commitment, but my question was: will you commit to targeted funding under the reportable conduct scheme under the new Social Services Regulator?

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: Ms Gray-Barberio’s question was very broad in terms of what she saw as needing to be improved in relation to reportable conduct and where that now fits within the Social Services Regulator. What we are saying is that – (Time expired)