❓ A WA parliamentary question probes the Community Development Minister on mandatory reporting of child abuse, contrasting WA's approach with other Labor-led states. The Minister defends WA's comprehensive, evidence-based system.
AnsweredQoN 900Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the minister’s statement yesterday during question time in the other place that “The only people who are calling for mandatory reporting to support their own ideological position are members of the opposition.” (1) Is mandatory reporting a requirement in all other states of Australia that have Labor governments? (2) Does the minister agree that this indicates that mandatory reporting is an ideological position of those Labor governments? (3) Why does the Labor government in Western Australia differ from other Labor state governments in its ideological position on maximising the protection of children? Hon KATE DOUST
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The minister’s response is as follows - (1) Yes. (2) No. (3) Mandatory reporting laws are not uniform across Australia. Western Australia has a comprehensive approach to child protection that includes a strong statutory child protection response that is supported by some targeted reporting laws and reciprocal reporting procedures agreed with key government agencies. The Department for Community Development also requires in its service agreements with key funded non-government services the reporting of children who are at risk of or experiencing abuse. WA’s approach to child protection is concerned with what has been shown to be effective in protecting children, not simplistic political responses.
(1) Is mandatory reporting a requirement in all other states of Australia that have Labor governments? (2) Does the minister agree that this indicates that mandatory reporting is an ideological position of those Labor governments? (3) Why does the Labor government in Western Australia differ from other Labor state governments in its ideological position on maximising the protection of children? Hon KATE DOUST replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The minister’s response is as follows - (1) Yes. (2) No. (3) Mandatory reporting laws are not uniform across Australia. Western Australia has a comprehensive approach to child protection that includes a strong statutory child protection response that is supported by some targeted reporting laws and reciprocal reporting procedures agreed with key government agencies. The Department for Community Development also requires in its service agreements with key funded non-government services the reporting of children who are at risk of or experiencing abuse. WA’s approach to child protection is concerned with what has been shown to be effective in protecting children, not simplistic political responses.
(2) Does the minister agree that this indicates that mandatory reporting is an ideological position of those Labor governments? (3) Why does the Labor government in Western Australia differ from other Labor state governments in its ideological position on maximising the protection of children? Hon KATE DOUST replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The minister’s response is as follows - (1) Yes. (2) No. (3) Mandatory reporting laws are not uniform across Australia. Western Australia has a comprehensive approach to child protection that includes a strong statutory child protection response that is supported by some targeted reporting laws and reciprocal reporting procedures agreed with key government agencies. The Department for Community Development also requires in its service agreements with key funded non-government services the reporting of children who are at risk of or experiencing abuse. WA’s approach to child protection is concerned with what has been shown to be effective in protecting children, not simplistic political responses.
(3) Why does the Labor government in Western Australia differ from other Labor state governments in its ideological position on maximising the protection of children? Hon KATE DOUST replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The minister’s response is as follows - (1) Yes. (2) No. (3) Mandatory reporting laws are not uniform across Australia. Western Australia has a comprehensive approach to child protection that includes a strong statutory child protection response that is supported by some targeted reporting laws and reciprocal reporting procedures agreed with key government agencies. The Department for Community Development also requires in its service agreements with key funded non-government services the reporting of children who are at risk of or experiencing abuse. WA’s approach to child protection is concerned with what has been shown to be effective in protecting children, not simplistic political responses.
Hon KATE DOUST replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The minister’s response is as follows - (1) Yes. (2) No. (3) Mandatory reporting laws are not uniform across Australia. Western Australia has a comprehensive approach to child protection that includes a strong statutory child protection response that is supported by some targeted reporting laws and reciprocal reporting procedures agreed with key government agencies. The Department for Community Development also requires in its service agreements with key funded non-government services the reporting of children who are at risk of or experiencing abuse. WA’s approach to child protection is concerned with what has been shown to be effective in protecting children, not simplistic political responses.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The minister’s response is as follows - (1) Yes. (2) No. (3) Mandatory reporting laws are not uniform across Australia. Western Australia has a comprehensive approach to child protection that includes a strong statutory child protection response that is supported by some targeted reporting laws and reciprocal reporting procedures agreed with key government agencies. The Department for Community Development also requires in its service agreements with key funded non-government services the reporting of children who are at risk of or experiencing abuse. WA’s approach to child protection is concerned with what has been shown to be effective in protecting children, not simplistic political responses.
(1) Yes. (2) No. (3) Mandatory reporting laws are not uniform across Australia. Western Australia has a comprehensive approach to child protection that includes a strong statutory child protection response that is supported by some targeted reporting laws and reciprocal reporting procedures agreed with key government agencies. The Department for Community Development also requires in its service agreements with key funded non-government services the reporting of children who are at risk of or experiencing abuse. WA’s approach to child protection is concerned with what has been shown to be effective in protecting children, not simplistic political responses.
(2) No. (3) Mandatory reporting laws are not uniform across Australia. Western Australia has a comprehensive approach to child protection that includes a strong statutory child protection response that is supported by some targeted reporting laws and reciprocal reporting procedures agreed with key government agencies. The Department for Community Development also requires in its service agreements with key funded non-government services the reporting of children who are at risk of or experiencing abuse. WA’s approach to child protection is concerned with what has been shown to be effective in protecting children, not simplistic political responses.
(3) Mandatory reporting laws are not uniform across Australia. Western Australia has a comprehensive approach to child protection that includes a strong statutory child protection response that is supported by some targeted reporting laws and reciprocal reporting procedures agreed with key government agencies. The Department for Community Development also requires in its service agreements with key funded non-government services the reporting of children who are at risk of or experiencing abuse. WA’s approach to child protection is concerned with what has been shown to be effective in protecting children, not simplistic political responses.
(1) Is mandatory reporting a requirement in all other states of Australia that have Labor governments? (2) Does the minister agree that this indicates that mandatory reporting is an ideological position of those Labor governments? (3) Why does the Labor government in Western Australia differ from other Labor state governments in its ideological position on maximising the protection of children? Hon KATE DOUST replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The minister’s response is as follows - (1) Yes. (2) No. (3) Mandatory reporting laws are not uniform across Australia. Western Australia has a comprehensive approach to child protection that includes a strong statutory child protection response that is supported by some targeted reporting laws and reciprocal reporting procedures agreed with key government agencies. The Department for Community Development also requires in its service agreements with key funded non-government services the reporting of children who are at risk of or experiencing abuse. WA’s approach to child protection is concerned with what has been shown to be effective in protecting children, not simplistic political responses.
(2) Does the minister agree that this indicates that mandatory reporting is an ideological position of those Labor governments? (3) Why does the Labor government in Western Australia differ from other Labor state governments in its ideological position on maximising the protection of children? Hon KATE DOUST replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The minister’s response is as follows - (1) Yes. (2) No. (3) Mandatory reporting laws are not uniform across Australia. Western Australia has a comprehensive approach to child protection that includes a strong statutory child protection response that is supported by some targeted reporting laws and reciprocal reporting procedures agreed with key government agencies. The Department for Community Development also requires in its service agreements with key funded non-government services the reporting of children who are at risk of or experiencing abuse. WA’s approach to child protection is concerned with what has been shown to be effective in protecting children, not simplistic political responses.
(3) Why does the Labor government in Western Australia differ from other Labor state governments in its ideological position on maximising the protection of children? Hon KATE DOUST replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The minister’s response is as follows - (1) Yes. (2) No. (3) Mandatory reporting laws are not uniform across Australia. Western Australia has a comprehensive approach to child protection that includes a strong statutory child protection response that is supported by some targeted reporting laws and reciprocal reporting procedures agreed with key government agencies. The Department for Community Development also requires in its service agreements with key funded non-government services the reporting of children who are at risk of or experiencing abuse. WA’s approach to child protection is concerned with what has been shown to be effective in protecting children, not simplistic political responses.
Hon KATE DOUST replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The minister’s response is as follows - (1) Yes. (2) No. (3) Mandatory reporting laws are not uniform across Australia. Western Australia has a comprehensive approach to child protection that includes a strong statutory child protection response that is supported by some targeted reporting laws and reciprocal reporting procedures agreed with key government agencies. The Department for Community Development also requires in its service agreements with key funded non-government services the reporting of children who are at risk of or experiencing abuse. WA’s approach to child protection is concerned with what has been shown to be effective in protecting children, not simplistic political responses.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The minister’s response is as follows - (1) Yes. (2) No. (3) Mandatory reporting laws are not uniform across Australia. Western Australia has a comprehensive approach to child protection that includes a strong statutory child protection response that is supported by some targeted reporting laws and reciprocal reporting procedures agreed with key government agencies. The Department for Community Development also requires in its service agreements with key funded non-government services the reporting of children who are at risk of or experiencing abuse. WA’s approach to child protection is concerned with what has been shown to be effective in protecting children, not simplistic political responses.
(1) Yes. (2) No. (3) Mandatory reporting laws are not uniform across Australia. Western Australia has a comprehensive approach to child protection that includes a strong statutory child protection response that is supported by some targeted reporting laws and reciprocal reporting procedures agreed with key government agencies. The Department for Community Development also requires in its service agreements with key funded non-government services the reporting of children who are at risk of or experiencing abuse. WA’s approach to child protection is concerned with what has been shown to be effective in protecting children, not simplistic political responses.
(2) No. (3) Mandatory reporting laws are not uniform across Australia. Western Australia has a comprehensive approach to child protection that includes a strong statutory child protection response that is supported by some targeted reporting laws and reciprocal reporting procedures agreed with key government agencies. The Department for Community Development also requires in its service agreements with key funded non-government services the reporting of children who are at risk of or experiencing abuse. WA’s approach to child protection is concerned with what has been shown to be effective in protecting children, not simplistic political responses.
(3) Mandatory reporting laws are not uniform across Australia. Western Australia has a comprehensive approach to child protection that includes a strong statutory child protection response that is supported by some targeted reporting laws and reciprocal reporting procedures agreed with key government agencies. The Department for Community Development also requires in its service agreements with key funded non-government services the reporting of children who are at risk of or experiencing abuse. WA’s approach to child protection is concerned with what has been shown to be effective in protecting children, not simplistic political responses.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.