❓ A WA parliamentary question regarding the number of volunteers working with children and the cost of the Working with Children Check. The Minister declines to make the card free, citing the success of the subsidized $10 scheme and the enhanced features of the WA card.
AnsweredQoN 1136Legislative Council
Asked
30 November 2004
Member
Portfolio
Community Development, Women’s Interests, Seniors and Youth
QuestionView source ↗
(1) Will the minister inform the Parliament of the approximate number of volunteers in Western Australia who work with children? (2) Will the minister consider making the child card free to all volunteers in Western Australia, as the Queensland Government has done; and, if not, why not? Hon SUE ELLERY
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) The minister has been advised that approximately 100 000 volunteers work with children in Western Australia. (2) No. The response to the $10 pilot scheme has been overwhelmingly positive. The fee for volunteers will continue to be heavily subsidised at $10 for a three-year working with children card. This card will be available to volunteers for less than $3.50 a year. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Bill is the most wide-ranging legislation of its kind, requiring an investment of more than $9 million over four years. Unlike the card issued in Queensland, this card will be valid for three years rather than two and will have the added benefit of a photograph for extra security.
(2) Will the minister consider making the child card free to all volunteers in Western Australia, as the Queensland Government has done; and, if not, why not? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) The minister has been advised that approximately 100 000 volunteers work with children in Western Australia. (2) No. The response to the $10 pilot scheme has been overwhelmingly positive. The fee for volunteers will continue to be heavily subsidised at $10 for a three-year working with children card. This card will be available to volunteers for less than $3.50 a year. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Bill is the most wide-ranging legislation of its kind, requiring an investment of more than $9 million over four years. Unlike the card issued in Queensland, this card will be valid for three years rather than two and will have the added benefit of a photograph for extra security.
Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) The minister has been advised that approximately 100 000 volunteers work with children in Western Australia. (2) No. The response to the $10 pilot scheme has been overwhelmingly positive. The fee for volunteers will continue to be heavily subsidised at $10 for a three-year working with children card. This card will be available to volunteers for less than $3.50 a year. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Bill is the most wide-ranging legislation of its kind, requiring an investment of more than $9 million over four years. Unlike the card issued in Queensland, this card will be valid for three years rather than two and will have the added benefit of a photograph for extra security.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) The minister has been advised that approximately 100 000 volunteers work with children in Western Australia. (2) No. The response to the $10 pilot scheme has been overwhelmingly positive. The fee for volunteers will continue to be heavily subsidised at $10 for a three-year working with children card. This card will be available to volunteers for less than $3.50 a year. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Bill is the most wide-ranging legislation of its kind, requiring an investment of more than $9 million over four years. Unlike the card issued in Queensland, this card will be valid for three years rather than two and will have the added benefit of a photograph for extra security.
(1) The minister has been advised that approximately 100 000 volunteers work with children in Western Australia. (2) No. The response to the $10 pilot scheme has been overwhelmingly positive. The fee for volunteers will continue to be heavily subsidised at $10 for a three-year working with children card. This card will be available to volunteers for less than $3.50 a year. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Bill is the most wide-ranging legislation of its kind, requiring an investment of more than $9 million over four years. Unlike the card issued in Queensland, this card will be valid for three years rather than two and will have the added benefit of a photograph for extra security.
(2) No. The response to the $10 pilot scheme has been overwhelmingly positive. The fee for volunteers will continue to be heavily subsidised at $10 for a three-year working with children card. This card will be available to volunteers for less than $3.50 a year. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Bill is the most wide-ranging legislation of its kind, requiring an investment of more than $9 million over four years. Unlike the card issued in Queensland, this card will be valid for three years rather than two and will have the added benefit of a photograph for extra security.
(2) Will the minister consider making the child card free to all volunteers in Western Australia, as the Queensland Government has done; and, if not, why not? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) The minister has been advised that approximately 100 000 volunteers work with children in Western Australia. (2) No. The response to the $10 pilot scheme has been overwhelmingly positive. The fee for volunteers will continue to be heavily subsidised at $10 for a three-year working with children card. This card will be available to volunteers for less than $3.50 a year. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Bill is the most wide-ranging legislation of its kind, requiring an investment of more than $9 million over four years. Unlike the card issued in Queensland, this card will be valid for three years rather than two and will have the added benefit of a photograph for extra security.
Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) The minister has been advised that approximately 100 000 volunteers work with children in Western Australia. (2) No. The response to the $10 pilot scheme has been overwhelmingly positive. The fee for volunteers will continue to be heavily subsidised at $10 for a three-year working with children card. This card will be available to volunteers for less than $3.50 a year. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Bill is the most wide-ranging legislation of its kind, requiring an investment of more than $9 million over four years. Unlike the card issued in Queensland, this card will be valid for three years rather than two and will have the added benefit of a photograph for extra security.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) The minister has been advised that approximately 100 000 volunteers work with children in Western Australia. (2) No. The response to the $10 pilot scheme has been overwhelmingly positive. The fee for volunteers will continue to be heavily subsidised at $10 for a three-year working with children card. This card will be available to volunteers for less than $3.50 a year. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Bill is the most wide-ranging legislation of its kind, requiring an investment of more than $9 million over four years. Unlike the card issued in Queensland, this card will be valid for three years rather than two and will have the added benefit of a photograph for extra security.
(1) The minister has been advised that approximately 100 000 volunteers work with children in Western Australia. (2) No. The response to the $10 pilot scheme has been overwhelmingly positive. The fee for volunteers will continue to be heavily subsidised at $10 for a three-year working with children card. This card will be available to volunteers for less than $3.50 a year. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Bill is the most wide-ranging legislation of its kind, requiring an investment of more than $9 million over four years. Unlike the card issued in Queensland, this card will be valid for three years rather than two and will have the added benefit of a photograph for extra security.
(2) No. The response to the $10 pilot scheme has been overwhelmingly positive. The fee for volunteers will continue to be heavily subsidised at $10 for a three-year working with children card. This card will be available to volunteers for less than $3.50 a year. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Bill is the most wide-ranging legislation of its kind, requiring an investment of more than $9 million over four years. Unlike the card issued in Queensland, this card will be valid for three years rather than two and will have the added benefit of a photograph for extra security.
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.