Thursday, 13 November 2025

 Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:25): My question is to the Minister for Children. The Commission for Children and Young People has been without a full-time principal commissioner for the past eight months since the departure of former head Liana Buchanan in March. In July the Deputy Premier Ben Carroll said the role needs to be filled with urgency. Why has it taken eight months?

 Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:26): I thank Mr Mulholland for his question. Indeed we went to some of these matters in question time in the previous sitting week. I thank Ms Buchanan for the incredible work and tenacity that she showed in her time as principal commissioner for the Commission for Children and Young People and indeed congratulate her on the subsequent role that she went on to. In so doing I note that Ms Buchanan departed from her role as principal commissioner for children and young people early, and so the process for the recruitment and appointment of a new commissioner had not begun at the point that Ms Buchanan decided to vacate the role. That said, the role was ably undertaken for the period by Ms Singh, who was indeed pleased to do so as acting principal commissioner. Ms Singh has now returned to her substantive position as the commissioner for Aboriginal children and young people. The process is underway, and it is exactly that – a process. When it comes to its conclusion, I will be very pleased to, hopefully very shortly, inform the house of the successful appointment.

 Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:27): Eight months. The Commission for Children and Young People is an important body scrutinising services, advocating at arms length for improved policies, regulating organisations that work with children and young people in this state and advocating on their behalf. I am sure you agree it is a very serious and important role. Is it a fact that you think there was independence, true independence without conflict, when you appointed the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing deputy secretary Argiri Alisandratos to temporarily fill the position until an ongoing replacement was hired?

 Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:28): I again thank Mr Mulholland for his question – again a question we explored in the previous sitting week. As I indicated, Ms Singh, temporarily and for a period of time, had been acting principal commissioner and had indicated that she wished to return to her substantive role as the commissioner for Aboriginal children and young people. As I indicated in my substantive answer, the process is well underway and I hope to be able to announce very shortly that we have a new appointment as the principal commissioner in what may be only a matter of weeks. We have asked deputy secretary Argiri Alisandratos to undertake this role. Mr Alisandratos has the appropriate conflict of interest management plans in place. But I would say at the outset, from his frontline work as a child protection worker through to his service across the department, in the child and family services system and now in a role in the department that is not directly involved in the child protection system per se but in a broader Department of Families, Fairness and Housing sense, Mr Alisandratos is somebody of great integrity who will – (Time expired)