❓ Dr. Honey questions the Minister for Child Protection about understaffing and vacancies in the department despite a budget surplus. The Minister defends the government's record, citing increased investment, workforce growth, and innovative programs, while acknowledging recruitment challenges due to border closures.
AnsweredQoN 127Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CHILD PROTECTION —
CASEWORKERS
127. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Minister for Child Protection:
I
have a supplementary question. The minister's government has an
eye-watering surplus. With this at the minister's disposal, why
has she allowed vacancies and understaffing to occur or is it —
Several members interjected.
Dr D.J. HONEY : That is
exactly what she said! Or is it that she has not listened to her own union?
Mr R.H. Cook interjected.
The SPEAKER : Deputy Premier,
you have not been asked the question, and the minister is more than capable of
answering it.
CASEWORKERS
127. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Minister for Child Protection:
I
have a supplementary question. The minister's government has an
eye-watering surplus. With this at the minister's disposal, why
has she allowed vacancies and understaffing to occur or is it —
Several members interjected.
Dr D.J. HONEY : That is
exactly what she said! Or is it that she has not listened to her own union?
Mr R.H. Cook interjected.
The SPEAKER : Deputy Premier,
you have not been asked the question, and the minister is more than capable of
answering it.
AnswerView source ↗
I think therein lies the opposition's
numerically challenged predilection in all its glory; that is, if we have a surplus and then we lock in recurrent spending ad infinitum,
we do have a challenge. I think that was the former government's way of managing the budget. In fact, we have seen a growth —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms S.F. McGURK : We have seen
a growth in the child protection workforce. We have seen a growth in the child
protection budget. We have seen reform. We have seen changes to legislation. We
have seen changes to policy. We have seen increased investment to early
intervention to provide support to families whose children are at risk of
coming into the child protection system, and all those efforts are starting to
yield results. I do not want to give the impression that I am not listening to
the child protection workforce—I am. I meet regularly with its union, and
I understand the pressures. But to say that we have sat by and done nothing in
the face of unfilled vacancies, particularly in regional areas, in the
Department of Communities and child protection is just not true.
It is the other side of the coin
that is Western Australia's success during this pandemic in which we
have low unemployment and we have had the border settings that have kept
people, including families and children, safe during such a difficult time. The
challenge is that we have not had the flow-through of new workers, particularly
from overseas, but we will continue to work to make sure that the message is
clear. We have challenging work, yes, but it is incredibly rewarding work in
child protection in Western Australia. We are leading some of the most
innovative work in Aboriginal-led involvement in child protection, and it is a challenging
but exciting and very rewarding area in which to work.
numerically challenged predilection in all its glory; that is, if we have a surplus and then we lock in recurrent spending ad infinitum,
we do have a challenge. I think that was the former government's way of managing the budget. In fact, we have seen a growth —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms S.F. McGURK : We have seen
a growth in the child protection workforce. We have seen a growth in the child
protection budget. We have seen reform. We have seen changes to legislation. We
have seen changes to policy. We have seen increased investment to early
intervention to provide support to families whose children are at risk of
coming into the child protection system, and all those efforts are starting to
yield results. I do not want to give the impression that I am not listening to
the child protection workforce—I am. I meet regularly with its union, and
I understand the pressures. But to say that we have sat by and done nothing in
the face of unfilled vacancies, particularly in regional areas, in the
Department of Communities and child protection is just not true.
It is the other side of the coin
that is Western Australia's success during this pandemic in which we
have low unemployment and we have had the border settings that have kept
people, including families and children, safe during such a difficult time. The
challenge is that we have not had the flow-through of new workers, particularly
from overseas, but we will continue to work to make sure that the message is
clear. We have challenging work, yes, but it is incredibly rewarding work in
child protection in Western Australia. We are leading some of the most
innovative work in Aboriginal-led involvement in child protection, and it is a challenging
but exciting and very rewarding area in which to work.
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