Wednesday, 18 February 2026

 David ETTERSHANK (Western Metropolitan) (12:36): (1227) My question is for the Minister for Children and Minister for Disability. Yoorrook heard that where the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing has concerns around an unborn Aboriginal child at risk of family violence, they will wait until the woman gives birth and then formally report to child protection. Rather than addressing the protective concerns and offering support to set the new mother up for success, she only finds out about the report when a child protection officer turns up at the maternity ward. Recommendation 11 of the Yoorrook report states that where the department receives a pre-birth report, the pregnant Aboriginal woman is informed of the report by people capable of responding appropriately and offering a range of culturally safe support options. Can the minister inform the house on the implementation of this recommendation?

 Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:37): I thank Mr Ettershank for his question and indeed for his interest in these matters. I was pleased to give evidence at the Yoorrook Justice Commission and speak to the very issues that he is speaking about now, and indeed just last week I met with services to talk about these same issues.

The reality is that until a child is born, there is no child to make a report for. We all in this place can have views about where life begins and ends. I think my views on that are well known in this chamber, but until the child is actually born, there is not a child for which a report can be made. That said, there is a process of wrapping around supports, and there are great examples of this right across the state. The example that I often use when talking about the supports and services that should be provided to expectant mothers in order to assist them in preparing themselves and their family for the birth of their child, whatever their circumstances, is that of the Bendigo and District Aboriginal Co-operative. The work that they do with expectant mothers is absolutely, in my view, nation leading. I often, in my Acknowledgement of Country when I am visiting children’s services, talk about how we still have so much to learn from Aboriginal ways of knowing and doing when it comes to caring for children and families. This is indeed one of the examples that so often is forefront of my mind. I do not want to quote statistics, because I am not sure what they are as of today in relation to this particular program at BDAC, but certainly in the time that they have had this program, and certainly when I first became aware of this program, the success rate meant that there were actually no removals. I think if there have been any, those numbers at the moment are still very low because that work in working with families who are expecting children and supporting those families is first-rate. There are other examples across the state in Aboriginal and in non-Aboriginal organisations about what is best practice when it comes to working with families to help them be in the best position to keep their family together.

Our overall objective is how we can better support families to stay together. Indeed in the other place just today we are debating the stable and strong families bill. I am pleased that broad support for that has been indicated, because that is also about making sure that all families receive the services and support at whatever their point of vulnerability is in order to ensure that they can provide for their children in a way that enables their family to stay stable, to stay strong and to stay together. So the work – (Time expired)

 David ETTERSHANK (Western Metropolitan) (12:40): I do have that slight feeling of living in a parallel universe sometimes with these responses, because I do not think we actually got to responding on the Yoorrook recommendation. But anyway, Aboriginal mothers subject to these pre-birth reports are often left to navigate the complexities of the child protection system with little access to independent legal advice or guidance. Recommendation 12 of the Yoorrook report states that when a pre-birth or a child protection report regarding an Aboriginal woman is made:

… the Department must automatically notify a Victorian Aboriginal legal service provider …

such as Djirra for mothers and VALS for other caregivers. This would equip the mother with more knowledge and the confidence to engage with the process and lead to less children being removed. I ask: when will the government establish a child protection notification system to Aboriginal legal services, as recommended by Yoorrook? Or is the government intent on creating a new stolen generation?

 Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:41): I do not know which part of that question to take issue with first, but I absolutely will start with rejecting the last statement that Mr Ettershank has made. Indeed I take great offence at it. I also take offence at the patronising tone in which he suggested that my answers represent a parallel universe when I spoke very specifically to the work that can happen when we are talking about supporting expectant mothers, both Aboriginal expectant mothers and other expectant mothers, and their families in providing services that help them and their families to stay together. As I said in my remarks to Mr Ettershank’s substantive question, I was very pleased – and my evidence is available on the record – to speak to the Yoorrook Justice Commission about these very specific issues. And as I have said –

David Ettershank: On a point of order, President, I would really appreciate it if the minister could come within spitting distance of the question. I have specifically asked about the implementation of recommendation 12 of Yoorrook. We have a few seconds left and you have not come near there yet.

The PRESIDENT: The minister answered your second question immediately as she got to her feet. If you ask a number of questions, the minister has a right to pick one. Minister, do you want the 3 seconds? No.