Tuesday, 9 December 2025

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:22): (1185) My question is to the Minister for Children. Minister, the outgoing principal commissioner for children and young people has revealed that 10 infants known to the minister’s department died in one year because authorities failed to follow government-mandated safety guidelines. Minister, who will be held accountable for this obvious failure of duty of care to these young Victorians?

 Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:22): I thank Ms Crozier for her question. At the outset, can I acknowledge that the death of any child or young person in any circumstances is indeed tragic. I acknowledge the impact that a child or young person’s death has on their families, on those who are close to them and on those who assist in caring for them. For the benefit of the house, I will also point out that, sadly, many of the deaths that are known to child protection are indeed the result of complications due to premature birth, sudden infant death syndrome, motor vehicle and other accidents and pre-existing medical conditions, and in many instances the first time that a child becomes known to child protection is, sadly, at the time of the illness or injury that leads to their death.

Indeed it is the role not of this house or anyone else but the coroner to determine who is responsible for the cause of death and in what circumstances. Again for the benefit of the house, when a child who dies is known to child protection in those previous 12 months, regardless of the services that are provided to them, they are independently reviewed by the Commission for Children and Young People as well, and the findings and recommendations from the commission’s child death inquiries inform improvements, and we are very grateful to the commission for the work that they do in this regard that complements the work of the coroner. It is indeed a longstanding process.

I would also advise the house that my advice is that, particularly in relation to infants, there are particular protocols dependent on the intensity of the response required by that family and those children as assessed within the risk assessment framework.

Georgie Crozier: On a point of order, President, I have been listening to the minister for 2 minutes. My question was very specific around who will be held accountable, given that the principal commissioner for children and young people has said authorities have failed to follow government-mandated safety guidelines. I would ask you to bring the minister back to the specifics of the question and answering it.

The PRESIDENT: I believe the minister has been relevant to the question.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: I was indeed answering the question, and I would advise those opposite, instead of trying to weaponise or pointscore in relation to infant deaths or child deaths –

Georgie Crozier: On a point of order, President, this is not an opportunity for the minister to attack the opposition. It is an opportunity for the minister to be responsible and accountable to the Victorian public, and I would ask you to bring her back to answering my very important question.

The PRESIDENT: I believe the minister had been relevant, but I will bring her back to the question and not attacking the opposition.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: Again, as I have advised the house, the death of any child is a tragedy. The work of the child protection workforce in assessing risk and attending to families in crisis and in need is a critical aspect of government frontline work, and I would urge those opposite that, instead of distorting data and misunderstanding the way in which numbers are accounted for, they actually take the time to consider both the important work of the Commission for Children and Young People and significantly the important work of the coroner in identifying the roles and responsibilities –

Georgie Crozier interjected.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: Sorry, President, it is very difficult to answer Ms Crozier’s question when she continues to interject. I am indeed endeavouring to be as helpful as possible. It is difficult when those opposites seek to distort data. What I will say is that the death of any child or young person is a tragedy.

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:26): I note the minister has failed to answer that question, and it is unbelievable that she is saying that a child’s death is just distorted data. In fact the former commissioner for children and young people said she has investigated over 300 – close to 320 – children in the last nine years who have died. That is a shocking statistic, Minister, and the Commission for Children and Young People’s annual report reveals that only 55 of their 108 recommendations in child death inquiries over the past five years have been fully implemented. So I ask again – and I hope you answer this fulsomely, Minister, because so far you have failed to do so: why has the government failed to implement the remaining 53 recommendations, when every delay exposes vulnerable children to preventable harm?

 Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:27): As I have advised the house, the important work of the Commission for Children and Young People and, significantly, the important work of the coroner in relation to each and every case, determining – as I said, for many children who meet a tragic end, often the first time they become known to child protection is actually at the time of the illness or injury that leads to their death. Sadly, many of these children are not known to child protection beforehand. But also it is important to note that many of these children tragically die of complications due to premature birth, sudden infant death syndrome, motor vehicle and other accidents and pre-existing medical conditions. So it is particularly important that the work of the coroner, when it comes to the Commission for Children and Young People, when a child is indeed known to child protection within the previous 12 months, informs the protocols and the processes –

Georgie Crozier: On a point of order, President, I would ask you to ask the minister to come back and answer the question: why has the government failed to implement the 53 recommendations? We have already heard what the minister said in her substantive answer, and I would ask you to bring her back to answering this important question.

The PRESIDENT: I believe the minister is being relevant to the question.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: I am indeed trying to be helpful. Indeed Ms Crozier’s own question shows that at some level she does not understand the important work of the Commission for Children and Young People and their role in this process. Again, I would urge those in the house that instead of – (Time expired)

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:29): I move:

That the minister’s answer be taken into consideration on the next day of meeting.

Motion agreed to.