❓ Hon. Norman Moore questions the Minister for Education and Training regarding her awareness of a CCC report on sexual contact between DET staff and students, accusing her of misleading the house. The Minister deflects, highlighting past actions and accusing Moore of hypocrisy.
AnsweredQoN 896Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING - CORRUPTION AND CRIME COMMISSION INVESTIGATION
I have a further question without notice of the Minister for Education and Training. In view of the answer that the minister just provided - (1) Is the minister aware that the CCC “Annual Report 2005-2006”, which was tabled in this house on 27 September 2006 - that is, two weeks prior to last Thursday - in a section titled “Department of Education and Training” noted that the CCC report into sexual contact between DET staff and students would “be tabled in Parliament shortly”? (2) If the minister was aware of the CCC annual report, why did she mislead the house regarding the time that she first became aware of the CCC report into sexual contact? (3) If the minister was not aware of the CCC annual report, how does she explain her ignorance of the report, which made direct reference to sensitive matters regarding the minister’s department, and was tabled in the minister’s presence in this house? (4) Does the minister agree that this ignorance suggests gross ministerial negligence relating to serious matters under her responsibility? I will pass across to the minister the relevant part of the report. The PRESIDENT : There was a phrase in the question accusing the minister of misleading the house. I think I heard that correctly. That phrase should not be included in the question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH
I have a further question without notice of the Minister for Education and Training. In view of the answer that the minister just provided - (1) Is the minister aware that the CCC “Annual Report 2005-2006”, which was tabled in this house on 27 September 2006 - that is, two weeks prior to last Thursday - in a section titled “Department of Education and Training” noted that the CCC report into sexual contact between DET staff and students would “be tabled in Parliament shortly”? (2) If the minister was aware of the CCC annual report, why did she mislead the house regarding the time that she first became aware of the CCC report into sexual contact? (3) If the minister was not aware of the CCC annual report, how does she explain her ignorance of the report, which made direct reference to sensitive matters regarding the minister’s department, and was tabled in the minister’s presence in this house? (4) Does the minister agree that this ignorance suggests gross ministerial negligence relating to serious matters under her responsibility? I will pass across to the minister the relevant part of the report. The PRESIDENT : There was a phrase in the question accusing the minister of misleading the house. I think I heard that correctly. That phrase should not be included in the question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(4) First of all, I was not aware of the Corruption and Crime Commission annual report for 2005-06. Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition this question: did he read the report? Hon Norman Moore : I did, yes. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The Leader of the Opposition read the report and he did not ask me a question about it. Hon Norman Moore : I’m asking you now. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No, no, no. All I want to know is whether the Leader of the Opposition read the report. Did the Leader of the Opposition read that report? If the Leader of the Opposition was concerned, why did he not ask me a question? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : I have a point of order, Mr President. The PRESIDENT : I think I know what the Leader of the Opposition is about to do, but will he please make his point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
(1) Is the minister aware that the CCC “Annual Report 2005-2006”, which was tabled in this house on 27 September 2006 - that is, two weeks prior to last Thursday - in a section titled “Department of Education and Training” noted that the CCC report into sexual contact between DET staff and students would “be tabled in Parliament shortly”? (2) If the minister was aware of the CCC annual report, why did she mislead the house regarding the time that she first became aware of the CCC report into sexual contact? (3) If the minister was not aware of the CCC annual report, how does she explain her ignorance of the report, which made direct reference to sensitive matters regarding the minister’s department, and was tabled in the minister’s presence in this house? (4) Does the minister agree that this ignorance suggests gross ministerial negligence relating to serious matters under her responsibility? I will pass across to the minister the relevant part of the report. The PRESIDENT : There was a phrase in the question accusing the minister of misleading the house. I think I heard that correctly. That phrase should not be included in the question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: (1)-(4) First of all, I was not aware of the Corruption and Crime Commission annual report for 2005-06. Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition this question: did he read the report? Hon Norman Moore : I did, yes. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The Leader of the Opposition read the report and he did not ask me a question about it. Hon Norman Moore : I’m asking you now. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No, no, no. All I want to know is whether the Leader of the Opposition read the report. Did the Leader of the Opposition read that report? If the Leader of the Opposition was concerned, why did he not ask me a question? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : I have a point of order, Mr President. The PRESIDENT : I think I know what the Leader of the Opposition is about to do, but will he please make his point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
(2) If the minister was aware of the CCC annual report, why did she mislead the house regarding the time that she first became aware of the CCC report into sexual contact? (3) If the minister was not aware of the CCC annual report, how does she explain her ignorance of the report, which made direct reference to sensitive matters regarding the minister’s department, and was tabled in the minister’s presence in this house? (4) Does the minister agree that this ignorance suggests gross ministerial negligence relating to serious matters under her responsibility? I will pass across to the minister the relevant part of the report. The PRESIDENT : There was a phrase in the question accusing the minister of misleading the house. I think I heard that correctly. That phrase should not be included in the question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: (1)-(4) First of all, I was not aware of the Corruption and Crime Commission annual report for 2005-06. Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition this question: did he read the report? Hon Norman Moore : I did, yes. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The Leader of the Opposition read the report and he did not ask me a question about it. Hon Norman Moore : I’m asking you now. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No, no, no. All I want to know is whether the Leader of the Opposition read the report. Did the Leader of the Opposition read that report? If the Leader of the Opposition was concerned, why did he not ask me a question? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : I have a point of order, Mr President. The PRESIDENT : I think I know what the Leader of the Opposition is about to do, but will he please make his point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
(3) If the minister was not aware of the CCC annual report, how does she explain her ignorance of the report, which made direct reference to sensitive matters regarding the minister’s department, and was tabled in the minister’s presence in this house? (4) Does the minister agree that this ignorance suggests gross ministerial negligence relating to serious matters under her responsibility? I will pass across to the minister the relevant part of the report. The PRESIDENT : There was a phrase in the question accusing the minister of misleading the house. I think I heard that correctly. That phrase should not be included in the question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: (1)-(4) First of all, I was not aware of the Corruption and Crime Commission annual report for 2005-06. Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition this question: did he read the report? Hon Norman Moore : I did, yes. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The Leader of the Opposition read the report and he did not ask me a question about it. Hon Norman Moore : I’m asking you now. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No, no, no. All I want to know is whether the Leader of the Opposition read the report. Did the Leader of the Opposition read that report? If the Leader of the Opposition was concerned, why did he not ask me a question? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : I have a point of order, Mr President. The PRESIDENT : I think I know what the Leader of the Opposition is about to do, but will he please make his point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
(4) Does the minister agree that this ignorance suggests gross ministerial negligence relating to serious matters under her responsibility? I will pass across to the minister the relevant part of the report. The PRESIDENT : There was a phrase in the question accusing the minister of misleading the house. I think I heard that correctly. That phrase should not be included in the question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: (1)-(4) First of all, I was not aware of the Corruption and Crime Commission annual report for 2005-06. Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition this question: did he read the report? Hon Norman Moore : I did, yes. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The Leader of the Opposition read the report and he did not ask me a question about it. Hon Norman Moore : I’m asking you now. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No, no, no. All I want to know is whether the Leader of the Opposition read the report. Did the Leader of the Opposition read that report? If the Leader of the Opposition was concerned, why did he not ask me a question? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : I have a point of order, Mr President. The PRESIDENT : I think I know what the Leader of the Opposition is about to do, but will he please make his point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
I will pass across to the minister the relevant part of the report. The PRESIDENT : There was a phrase in the question accusing the minister of misleading the house. I think I heard that correctly. That phrase should not be included in the question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: (1)-(4) First of all, I was not aware of the Corruption and Crime Commission annual report for 2005-06. Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition this question: did he read the report? Hon Norman Moore : I did, yes. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The Leader of the Opposition read the report and he did not ask me a question about it. Hon Norman Moore : I’m asking you now. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No, no, no. All I want to know is whether the Leader of the Opposition read the report. Did the Leader of the Opposition read that report? If the Leader of the Opposition was concerned, why did he not ask me a question? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : I have a point of order, Mr President. The PRESIDENT : I think I know what the Leader of the Opposition is about to do, but will he please make his point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
The PRESIDENT : There was a phrase in the question accusing the minister of misleading the house. I think I heard that correctly. That phrase should not be included in the question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: (1)-(4) First of all, I was not aware of the Corruption and Crime Commission annual report for 2005-06. Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition this question: did he read the report? Hon Norman Moore : I did, yes. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The Leader of the Opposition read the report and he did not ask me a question about it. Hon Norman Moore : I’m asking you now. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No, no, no. All I want to know is whether the Leader of the Opposition read the report. Did the Leader of the Opposition read that report? If the Leader of the Opposition was concerned, why did he not ask me a question? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : I have a point of order, Mr President. The PRESIDENT : I think I know what the Leader of the Opposition is about to do, but will he please make his point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: (1)-(4) First of all, I was not aware of the Corruption and Crime Commission annual report for 2005-06. Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition this question: did he read the report? Hon Norman Moore : I did, yes. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The Leader of the Opposition read the report and he did not ask me a question about it. Hon Norman Moore : I’m asking you now. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No, no, no. All I want to know is whether the Leader of the Opposition read the report. Did the Leader of the Opposition read that report? If the Leader of the Opposition was concerned, why did he not ask me a question? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : I have a point of order, Mr President. The PRESIDENT : I think I know what the Leader of the Opposition is about to do, but will he please make his point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
(1)-(4) First of all, I was not aware of the Corruption and Crime Commission annual report for 2005-06. Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition this question: did he read the report? Hon Norman Moore : I did, yes. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The Leader of the Opposition read the report and he did not ask me a question about it. Hon Norman Moore : I’m asking you now. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No, no, no. All I want to know is whether the Leader of the Opposition read the report. Did the Leader of the Opposition read that report? If the Leader of the Opposition was concerned, why did he not ask me a question? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : I have a point of order, Mr President. The PRESIDENT : I think I know what the Leader of the Opposition is about to do, but will he please make his point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
Hon Norman Moore : I did, yes. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The Leader of the Opposition read the report and he did not ask me a question about it. Hon Norman Moore : I’m asking you now. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No, no, no. All I want to know is whether the Leader of the Opposition read the report. Did the Leader of the Opposition read that report? If the Leader of the Opposition was concerned, why did he not ask me a question? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : I have a point of order, Mr President. The PRESIDENT : I think I know what the Leader of the Opposition is about to do, but will he please make his point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The Leader of the Opposition read the report and he did not ask me a question about it. Hon Norman Moore : I’m asking you now. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No, no, no. All I want to know is whether the Leader of the Opposition read the report. Did the Leader of the Opposition read that report? If the Leader of the Opposition was concerned, why did he not ask me a question? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : I have a point of order, Mr President. The PRESIDENT : I think I know what the Leader of the Opposition is about to do, but will he please make his point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
Hon Norman Moore : I’m asking you now. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No, no, no. All I want to know is whether the Leader of the Opposition read the report. Did the Leader of the Opposition read that report? If the Leader of the Opposition was concerned, why did he not ask me a question? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : I have a point of order, Mr President. The PRESIDENT : I think I know what the Leader of the Opposition is about to do, but will he please make his point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No, no, no. All I want to know is whether the Leader of the Opposition read the report. Did the Leader of the Opposition read that report? If the Leader of the Opposition was concerned, why did he not ask me a question? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : I have a point of order, Mr President. The PRESIDENT : I think I know what the Leader of the Opposition is about to do, but will he please make his point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
The PRESIDENT : I think I know what the Leader of the Opposition is about to do, but will he please make his point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
(1) Is the minister aware that the CCC “Annual Report 2005-2006”, which was tabled in this house on 27 September 2006 - that is, two weeks prior to last Thursday - in a section titled “Department of Education and Training” noted that the CCC report into sexual contact between DET staff and students would “be tabled in Parliament shortly”? (2) If the minister was aware of the CCC annual report, why did she mislead the house regarding the time that she first became aware of the CCC report into sexual contact? (3) If the minister was not aware of the CCC annual report, how does she explain her ignorance of the report, which made direct reference to sensitive matters regarding the minister’s department, and was tabled in the minister’s presence in this house? (4) Does the minister agree that this ignorance suggests gross ministerial negligence relating to serious matters under her responsibility? I will pass across to the minister the relevant part of the report. The PRESIDENT : There was a phrase in the question accusing the minister of misleading the house. I think I heard that correctly. That phrase should not be included in the question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: (1)-(4) First of all, I was not aware of the Corruption and Crime Commission annual report for 2005-06. Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition this question: did he read the report? Hon Norman Moore : I did, yes. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The Leader of the Opposition read the report and he did not ask me a question about it. Hon Norman Moore : I’m asking you now. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No, no, no. All I want to know is whether the Leader of the Opposition read the report. Did the Leader of the Opposition read that report? If the Leader of the Opposition was concerned, why did he not ask me a question? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : I have a point of order, Mr President. The PRESIDENT : I think I know what the Leader of the Opposition is about to do, but will he please make his point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
(2) If the minister was aware of the CCC annual report, why did she mislead the house regarding the time that she first became aware of the CCC report into sexual contact? (3) If the minister was not aware of the CCC annual report, how does she explain her ignorance of the report, which made direct reference to sensitive matters regarding the minister’s department, and was tabled in the minister’s presence in this house? (4) Does the minister agree that this ignorance suggests gross ministerial negligence relating to serious matters under her responsibility? I will pass across to the minister the relevant part of the report. The PRESIDENT : There was a phrase in the question accusing the minister of misleading the house. I think I heard that correctly. That phrase should not be included in the question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: (1)-(4) First of all, I was not aware of the Corruption and Crime Commission annual report for 2005-06. Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition this question: did he read the report? Hon Norman Moore : I did, yes. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The Leader of the Opposition read the report and he did not ask me a question about it. Hon Norman Moore : I’m asking you now. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No, no, no. All I want to know is whether the Leader of the Opposition read the report. Did the Leader of the Opposition read that report? If the Leader of the Opposition was concerned, why did he not ask me a question? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : I have a point of order, Mr President. The PRESIDENT : I think I know what the Leader of the Opposition is about to do, but will he please make his point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
(3) If the minister was not aware of the CCC annual report, how does she explain her ignorance of the report, which made direct reference to sensitive matters regarding the minister’s department, and was tabled in the minister’s presence in this house? (4) Does the minister agree that this ignorance suggests gross ministerial negligence relating to serious matters under her responsibility? I will pass across to the minister the relevant part of the report. The PRESIDENT : There was a phrase in the question accusing the minister of misleading the house. I think I heard that correctly. That phrase should not be included in the question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: (1)-(4) First of all, I was not aware of the Corruption and Crime Commission annual report for 2005-06. Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition this question: did he read the report? Hon Norman Moore : I did, yes. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The Leader of the Opposition read the report and he did not ask me a question about it. Hon Norman Moore : I’m asking you now. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No, no, no. All I want to know is whether the Leader of the Opposition read the report. Did the Leader of the Opposition read that report? If the Leader of the Opposition was concerned, why did he not ask me a question? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : I have a point of order, Mr President. The PRESIDENT : I think I know what the Leader of the Opposition is about to do, but will he please make his point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
(4) Does the minister agree that this ignorance suggests gross ministerial negligence relating to serious matters under her responsibility? I will pass across to the minister the relevant part of the report. The PRESIDENT : There was a phrase in the question accusing the minister of misleading the house. I think I heard that correctly. That phrase should not be included in the question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: (1)-(4) First of all, I was not aware of the Corruption and Crime Commission annual report for 2005-06. Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition this question: did he read the report? Hon Norman Moore : I did, yes. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The Leader of the Opposition read the report and he did not ask me a question about it. Hon Norman Moore : I’m asking you now. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No, no, no. All I want to know is whether the Leader of the Opposition read the report. Did the Leader of the Opposition read that report? If the Leader of the Opposition was concerned, why did he not ask me a question? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : I have a point of order, Mr President. The PRESIDENT : I think I know what the Leader of the Opposition is about to do, but will he please make his point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
I will pass across to the minister the relevant part of the report. The PRESIDENT : There was a phrase in the question accusing the minister of misleading the house. I think I heard that correctly. That phrase should not be included in the question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: (1)-(4) First of all, I was not aware of the Corruption and Crime Commission annual report for 2005-06. Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition this question: did he read the report? Hon Norman Moore : I did, yes. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The Leader of the Opposition read the report and he did not ask me a question about it. Hon Norman Moore : I’m asking you now. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No, no, no. All I want to know is whether the Leader of the Opposition read the report. Did the Leader of the Opposition read that report? If the Leader of the Opposition was concerned, why did he not ask me a question? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : I have a point of order, Mr President. The PRESIDENT : I think I know what the Leader of the Opposition is about to do, but will he please make his point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
The PRESIDENT : There was a phrase in the question accusing the minister of misleading the house. I think I heard that correctly. That phrase should not be included in the question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: (1)-(4) First of all, I was not aware of the Corruption and Crime Commission annual report for 2005-06. Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition this question: did he read the report? Hon Norman Moore : I did, yes. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The Leader of the Opposition read the report and he did not ask me a question about it. Hon Norman Moore : I’m asking you now. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No, no, no. All I want to know is whether the Leader of the Opposition read the report. Did the Leader of the Opposition read that report? If the Leader of the Opposition was concerned, why did he not ask me a question? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : I have a point of order, Mr President. The PRESIDENT : I think I know what the Leader of the Opposition is about to do, but will he please make his point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: (1)-(4) First of all, I was not aware of the Corruption and Crime Commission annual report for 2005-06. Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition this question: did he read the report? Hon Norman Moore : I did, yes. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The Leader of the Opposition read the report and he did not ask me a question about it. Hon Norman Moore : I’m asking you now. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No, no, no. All I want to know is whether the Leader of the Opposition read the report. Did the Leader of the Opposition read that report? If the Leader of the Opposition was concerned, why did he not ask me a question? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : I have a point of order, Mr President. The PRESIDENT : I think I know what the Leader of the Opposition is about to do, but will he please make his point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
(1)-(4) First of all, I was not aware of the Corruption and Crime Commission annual report for 2005-06. Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition this question: did he read the report? Hon Norman Moore : I did, yes. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The Leader of the Opposition read the report and he did not ask me a question about it. Hon Norman Moore : I’m asking you now. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No, no, no. All I want to know is whether the Leader of the Opposition read the report. Did the Leader of the Opposition read that report? If the Leader of the Opposition was concerned, why did he not ask me a question? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : I have a point of order, Mr President. The PRESIDENT : I think I know what the Leader of the Opposition is about to do, but will he please make his point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
Hon Norman Moore : I did, yes. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The Leader of the Opposition read the report and he did not ask me a question about it. Hon Norman Moore : I’m asking you now. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No, no, no. All I want to know is whether the Leader of the Opposition read the report. Did the Leader of the Opposition read that report? If the Leader of the Opposition was concerned, why did he not ask me a question? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : I have a point of order, Mr President. The PRESIDENT : I think I know what the Leader of the Opposition is about to do, but will he please make his point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The Leader of the Opposition read the report and he did not ask me a question about it. Hon Norman Moore : I’m asking you now. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No, no, no. All I want to know is whether the Leader of the Opposition read the report. Did the Leader of the Opposition read that report? If the Leader of the Opposition was concerned, why did he not ask me a question? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : I have a point of order, Mr President. The PRESIDENT : I think I know what the Leader of the Opposition is about to do, but will he please make his point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
Hon Norman Moore : I’m asking you now. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No, no, no. All I want to know is whether the Leader of the Opposition read the report. Did the Leader of the Opposition read that report? If the Leader of the Opposition was concerned, why did he not ask me a question? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : I have a point of order, Mr President. The PRESIDENT : I think I know what the Leader of the Opposition is about to do, but will he please make his point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No, no, no. All I want to know is whether the Leader of the Opposition read the report. Did the Leader of the Opposition read that report? If the Leader of the Opposition was concerned, why did he not ask me a question? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : I have a point of order, Mr President. The PRESIDENT : I think I know what the Leader of the Opposition is about to do, but will he please make his point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
The PRESIDENT : I think I know what the Leader of the Opposition is about to do, but will he please make his point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time of ministers, not question time of questioners. If it is any help to the minister, I read the report the day it was tabled, and I am asking the question today. The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
The PRESIDENT : I uphold the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. It is question time of ministers and parliamentary secretaries representing ministers. Therefore, when the Minister for Education and Training asked a question, it was a rhetorical question, not one inviting an answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you, Mr President. This is the absolute height of hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition, a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, was so concerned about the wellbeing of the children of Western Australia that he actually read this report and noted that page 31 of the report states that “A report addressing sexual contact between DET staff and students is expected to be tabled in Parliament shortly.” However, do members know what happened? As a former Minister for Education, Employment and Training, Hon Norman Moore did not think it important enough to ask one question. Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
Hon Norman Moore : What do you think I’m doing today? I just asked you a question. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : He waited. I wonder why there was the lapse in time, given that the Leader of the Opposition is such a concerned citizen. Mr President, I want to put this on record - Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
The PRESIDENT : Order, members! Hansard is having difficulty hearing the minister, as am I. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The one thing I cannot get over is the hypocrisy of the people on the other side. I have looked at the history of reporting and what has happened in the Department of Education and Training. Prior to 1997, there was virtually no reporting or very little investigation of these matters. In 1997, under pressure from the commonwealth government, police clearances were required for new teachers in WA. In February 2002, the current Premier, who was then Minister for Education and Training, established the complaints management unit to look at these issues and to look at complaints management generally. Sexual misconduct is one of the categories or one of the areas of work of that unit. Prior to that, these matters were not dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition should look at how he dealt with these matters. In December 2003, the then Minister for Education and Training announced that all schoolteachers, TAFE lecturers, and administration and support staff who had not already been police cleared would undergo criminal record screening. In other words, we were to go back and make sure that everybody was screened. That screening commenced on 26 July 2005, when explanatory letters were sent to teachers and all TAFE staff. This was also supported through the working with children legislation, and there is a dedicated criminal screening unit within the Department of Education and Training. Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
Several members interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am not even finished! Did these exist when Hon Norman Moore was the minister? Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : The point of order is relevance to the question. The minister can talk all she likes about the issue, but I asked a specific question about the CCC annual report. The minister has not even vaguely referred to that yet, and she is taking vast quantities of the house’s time. The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
The PRESIDENT : When a member is making a point of order there should be silence. The Minister for Education and Training is answering the question, and I think she will shortly conclude her answer. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I will go on because that is what members on this side of the house have done regarding these matters. The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 was passed by the state Parliament on 26 November 2004, and it was proclaimed on 1 January 2006. By the end of 2010, all new and existing employees, volunteers and self-employed people who do child-related work will be checked. In all honesty and in all consciousness, what did Hon Norman Moore do as minister? He remembers when he was minister; he speaks very fondly of it. What has he done? This is on the record. The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
The PRESIDENT : The Minister for Education and Training should bring her answer to a close very shortly because we are about 10 minutes into question time and we have not yet got to the third question. It may be a very long question time. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : The only point I want to make is that it is the height of hypocrisy for the honourable member to be asking this question now, quite some time after this report was tabled, if he thought it was of serious concern. I think it is a serious issue. He should have asked the question at the time.
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