❓ Mrs. Clarke questions the Minister for Child Protection on measures to strengthen Working with Children Checks in WA and collaboration with other jurisdictions. The Minister outlines ongoing reforms and national alignment efforts.
AnsweredQoN 467Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Working with children checks
467. Mrs Lorna Clarke to
the Minister for Child Protection:
I
refer the minister to the Cook Labor's government commitment to keeping
children safe.
(1) Can the minister update the house on what
measures are being undertaken to strengthen working with children checks in WA?
(2) Can the minister
advise how the government is working with other jurisdictions to better protect
children across the country?
467. Mrs Lorna Clarke to
the Minister for Child Protection:
I
refer the minister to the Cook Labor's government commitment to keeping
children safe.
(1) Can the minister update the house on what
measures are being undertaken to strengthen working with children checks in WA?
(2) Can the minister
advise how the government is working with other jurisdictions to better protect
children across the country?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I thank the member for Butler for
the question and her ongoing advocacy for the protection of children. As the
member knows, keeping children safe is a priority of the Cook Labor government.
Working with children checks are an important tool in that goal. When assessing
an application for a working with children card, the protection of children is
paramount in the consideration. Western Australia is now embarking on
additional measures to strengthen the system. Recently, on 26 August, the Department
of Communities released a consultation paper seeking feedback on potential
phase 2 reforms to WA's working with children check laws. This process will deliver
the phase 2 reforms in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses
to Child Sexual Abuse, following the phase 1 reforms that were completed in
2023. The key focus areas of the phase 2 reforms are changes to the categories
of child-related work and access to exemptions from those categories; changes
to the progress of national consistency; operational effectiveness reforms
around reporting obligations or avenues for employers; and the publication of
information about persons and entities that breach the act. The consultation
period closes very soon, on 23 September.
The Cook Labor government is
also working alongside other jurisdictions to progress national reforms that
will better protect children. Last month, my colleague the Attorney General
attended the Standing Council of Attorneys-General at which all the states and territories
agreed that they will drive decisive action to address the gaps that we see in
the system nationally. These reforms will mean that those who are denied a working
with children check in one jurisdiction will be denied a working with children
check in all jurisdictions. If they are banned in one, they will be banned in
all. In addition, this work will see the working with children check better
aligned across jurisdictions and the removal of barriers to information
sharing. It will progress the national continuous checking capability to
further tighten protections.
As the member knows, and as I
have said many times in this place, protecting children is everybody's
responsibility. It cannot be left to one organisation, one person or one system.
These reforms will provide another layer of protection for children in our
community.
The Speaker: Thank you, minister. The Leader of the
Opposition with the final question.
the question and her ongoing advocacy for the protection of children. As the
member knows, keeping children safe is a priority of the Cook Labor government.
Working with children checks are an important tool in that goal. When assessing
an application for a working with children card, the protection of children is
paramount in the consideration. Western Australia is now embarking on
additional measures to strengthen the system. Recently, on 26 August, the Department
of Communities released a consultation paper seeking feedback on potential
phase 2 reforms to WA's working with children check laws. This process will deliver
the phase 2 reforms in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses
to Child Sexual Abuse, following the phase 1 reforms that were completed in
2023. The key focus areas of the phase 2 reforms are changes to the categories
of child-related work and access to exemptions from those categories; changes
to the progress of national consistency; operational effectiveness reforms
around reporting obligations or avenues for employers; and the publication of
information about persons and entities that breach the act. The consultation
period closes very soon, on 23 September.
The Cook Labor government is
also working alongside other jurisdictions to progress national reforms that
will better protect children. Last month, my colleague the Attorney General
attended the Standing Council of Attorneys-General at which all the states and territories
agreed that they will drive decisive action to address the gaps that we see in
the system nationally. These reforms will mean that those who are denied a working
with children check in one jurisdiction will be denied a working with children
check in all jurisdictions. If they are banned in one, they will be banned in
all. In addition, this work will see the working with children check better
aligned across jurisdictions and the removal of barriers to information
sharing. It will progress the national continuous checking capability to
further tighten protections.
As the member knows, and as I
have said many times in this place, protecting children is everybody's
responsibility. It cannot be left to one organisation, one person or one system.
These reforms will provide another layer of protection for children in our
community.
The Speaker: Thank you, minister. The Leader of the
Opposition with the final question.
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