❓ A parliamentary question highlights serious concerns regarding understaffing, high turnover, and unallocated child maltreatment allegations within the Department for Community Development. The Minister deflects by citing legislative achievements and increased funding.
AnsweredQoN 687Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to a crisis meeting attended by over 300 Department for Community Development staff on Wednesday, 2 November, at which the following serious concerns were raised by staff: Midland DCD is short 34 full-time equivalents - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. SIMPSON : Also, there is a 50 per cent staff turnover at Midland DCD; the Perth DCD office is in crisis, with unacceptable workloads; and 45 child maltreatment allegations have been left unallocated at the Perth DCD office. What has the minister been doing for the past five years? Ms S.M. McHALE
AnswerView source ↗
This is the fourth identical question, so I do not intend to - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! I call to order the member for Nedlands and the Leader of the Opposition. Ms S.M. McHALE : I do not intend to repeat the last three answers, other than to remind the opposition that our government has introduced four major pieces of legislation that, when in government, the opposition either failed to introduce or could not get through the house. I remind members opposite - because with a few exceptions most of them were not in government at that time - that the opposition when in government could not get the adoption legislation through the Parliament; we did. It could not get amendments to the Child Welfare Act 1947 through the Parliament; we did. We have introduced the children’s commission legislation. We have also introduced the most stringent and the best legislation for criminal records checking in the country. That is four major pieces of legislation that the Labor government has introduced in relation to child protection. For the interest of members opposite, I once again remind them that that rather peculiar figure of the Productivity Commission was 17 - one seven - million dollars in their last year in government. We have been increasing that steadily each year to $140 million, and more than 140 new staff. I think that answers the question - for the fourth time!
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. SIMPSON : Also, there is a 50 per cent staff turnover at Midland DCD; the Perth DCD office is in crisis, with unacceptable workloads; and 45 child maltreatment allegations have been left unallocated at the Perth DCD office. What has the minister been doing for the past five years? Ms S.M. McHALE replied: This is the fourth identical question, so I do not intend to - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! I call to order the member for Nedlands and the Leader of the Opposition. Ms S.M. McHALE : I do not intend to repeat the last three answers, other than to remind the opposition that our government has introduced four major pieces of legislation that, when in government, the opposition either failed to introduce or could not get through the house. I remind members opposite - because with a few exceptions most of them were not in government at that time - that the opposition when in government could not get the adoption legislation through the Parliament; we did. It could not get amendments to the Child Welfare Act 1947 through the Parliament; we did. We have introduced the children’s commission legislation. We have also introduced the most stringent and the best legislation for criminal records checking in the country. That is four major pieces of legislation that the Labor government has introduced in relation to child protection. For the interest of members opposite, I once again remind them that that rather peculiar figure of the Productivity Commission was 17 - one seven - million dollars in their last year in government. We have been increasing that steadily each year to $140 million, and more than 140 new staff. I think that answers the question - for the fourth time!
The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. SIMPSON : Also, there is a 50 per cent staff turnover at Midland DCD; the Perth DCD office is in crisis, with unacceptable workloads; and 45 child maltreatment allegations have been left unallocated at the Perth DCD office. What has the minister been doing for the past five years? Ms S.M. McHALE replied: This is the fourth identical question, so I do not intend to - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! I call to order the member for Nedlands and the Leader of the Opposition. Ms S.M. McHALE : I do not intend to repeat the last three answers, other than to remind the opposition that our government has introduced four major pieces of legislation that, when in government, the opposition either failed to introduce or could not get through the house. I remind members opposite - because with a few exceptions most of them were not in government at that time - that the opposition when in government could not get the adoption legislation through the Parliament; we did. It could not get amendments to the Child Welfare Act 1947 through the Parliament; we did. We have introduced the children’s commission legislation. We have also introduced the most stringent and the best legislation for criminal records checking in the country. That is four major pieces of legislation that the Labor government has introduced in relation to child protection. For the interest of members opposite, I once again remind them that that rather peculiar figure of the Productivity Commission was 17 - one seven - million dollars in their last year in government. We have been increasing that steadily each year to $140 million, and more than 140 new staff. I think that answers the question - for the fourth time!
Mr A.J. SIMPSON : Also, there is a 50 per cent staff turnover at Midland DCD; the Perth DCD office is in crisis, with unacceptable workloads; and 45 child maltreatment allegations have been left unallocated at the Perth DCD office. What has the minister been doing for the past five years? Ms S.M. McHALE replied: This is the fourth identical question, so I do not intend to - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! I call to order the member for Nedlands and the Leader of the Opposition. Ms S.M. McHALE : I do not intend to repeat the last three answers, other than to remind the opposition that our government has introduced four major pieces of legislation that, when in government, the opposition either failed to introduce or could not get through the house. I remind members opposite - because with a few exceptions most of them were not in government at that time - that the opposition when in government could not get the adoption legislation through the Parliament; we did. It could not get amendments to the Child Welfare Act 1947 through the Parliament; we did. We have introduced the children’s commission legislation. We have also introduced the most stringent and the best legislation for criminal records checking in the country. That is four major pieces of legislation that the Labor government has introduced in relation to child protection. For the interest of members opposite, I once again remind them that that rather peculiar figure of the Productivity Commission was 17 - one seven - million dollars in their last year in government. We have been increasing that steadily each year to $140 million, and more than 140 new staff. I think that answers the question - for the fourth time!
Ms S.M. McHALE replied: This is the fourth identical question, so I do not intend to - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! I call to order the member for Nedlands and the Leader of the Opposition. Ms S.M. McHALE : I do not intend to repeat the last three answers, other than to remind the opposition that our government has introduced four major pieces of legislation that, when in government, the opposition either failed to introduce or could not get through the house. I remind members opposite - because with a few exceptions most of them were not in government at that time - that the opposition when in government could not get the adoption legislation through the Parliament; we did. It could not get amendments to the Child Welfare Act 1947 through the Parliament; we did. We have introduced the children’s commission legislation. We have also introduced the most stringent and the best legislation for criminal records checking in the country. That is four major pieces of legislation that the Labor government has introduced in relation to child protection. For the interest of members opposite, I once again remind them that that rather peculiar figure of the Productivity Commission was 17 - one seven - million dollars in their last year in government. We have been increasing that steadily each year to $140 million, and more than 140 new staff. I think that answers the question - for the fourth time!
This is the fourth identical question, so I do not intend to - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! I call to order the member for Nedlands and the Leader of the Opposition. Ms S.M. McHALE : I do not intend to repeat the last three answers, other than to remind the opposition that our government has introduced four major pieces of legislation that, when in government, the opposition either failed to introduce or could not get through the house. I remind members opposite - because with a few exceptions most of them were not in government at that time - that the opposition when in government could not get the adoption legislation through the Parliament; we did. It could not get amendments to the Child Welfare Act 1947 through the Parliament; we did. We have introduced the children’s commission legislation. We have also introduced the most stringent and the best legislation for criminal records checking in the country. That is four major pieces of legislation that the Labor government has introduced in relation to child protection. For the interest of members opposite, I once again remind them that that rather peculiar figure of the Productivity Commission was 17 - one seven - million dollars in their last year in government. We have been increasing that steadily each year to $140 million, and more than 140 new staff. I think that answers the question - for the fourth time!
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! I call to order the member for Nedlands and the Leader of the Opposition. Ms S.M. McHALE : I do not intend to repeat the last three answers, other than to remind the opposition that our government has introduced four major pieces of legislation that, when in government, the opposition either failed to introduce or could not get through the house. I remind members opposite - because with a few exceptions most of them were not in government at that time - that the opposition when in government could not get the adoption legislation through the Parliament; we did. It could not get amendments to the Child Welfare Act 1947 through the Parliament; we did. We have introduced the children’s commission legislation. We have also introduced the most stringent and the best legislation for criminal records checking in the country. That is four major pieces of legislation that the Labor government has introduced in relation to child protection. For the interest of members opposite, I once again remind them that that rather peculiar figure of the Productivity Commission was 17 - one seven - million dollars in their last year in government. We have been increasing that steadily each year to $140 million, and more than 140 new staff. I think that answers the question - for the fourth time!
The SPEAKER : Order, members! I call to order the member for Nedlands and the Leader of the Opposition. Ms S.M. McHALE : I do not intend to repeat the last three answers, other than to remind the opposition that our government has introduced four major pieces of legislation that, when in government, the opposition either failed to introduce or could not get through the house. I remind members opposite - because with a few exceptions most of them were not in government at that time - that the opposition when in government could not get the adoption legislation through the Parliament; we did. It could not get amendments to the Child Welfare Act 1947 through the Parliament; we did. We have introduced the children’s commission legislation. We have also introduced the most stringent and the best legislation for criminal records checking in the country. That is four major pieces of legislation that the Labor government has introduced in relation to child protection. For the interest of members opposite, I once again remind them that that rather peculiar figure of the Productivity Commission was 17 - one seven - million dollars in their last year in government. We have been increasing that steadily each year to $140 million, and more than 140 new staff. I think that answers the question - for the fourth time!
Ms S.M. McHALE : I do not intend to repeat the last three answers, other than to remind the opposition that our government has introduced four major pieces of legislation that, when in government, the opposition either failed to introduce or could not get through the house. I remind members opposite - because with a few exceptions most of them were not in government at that time - that the opposition when in government could not get the adoption legislation through the Parliament; we did. It could not get amendments to the Child Welfare Act 1947 through the Parliament; we did. We have introduced the children’s commission legislation. We have also introduced the most stringent and the best legislation for criminal records checking in the country. That is four major pieces of legislation that the Labor government has introduced in relation to child protection. For the interest of members opposite, I once again remind them that that rather peculiar figure of the Productivity Commission was 17 - one seven - million dollars in their last year in government. We have been increasing that steadily each year to $140 million, and more than 140 new staff. I think that answers the question - for the fourth time!
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. SIMPSON : Also, there is a 50 per cent staff turnover at Midland DCD; the Perth DCD office is in crisis, with unacceptable workloads; and 45 child maltreatment allegations have been left unallocated at the Perth DCD office. What has the minister been doing for the past five years? Ms S.M. McHALE replied: This is the fourth identical question, so I do not intend to - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! I call to order the member for Nedlands and the Leader of the Opposition. Ms S.M. McHALE : I do not intend to repeat the last three answers, other than to remind the opposition that our government has introduced four major pieces of legislation that, when in government, the opposition either failed to introduce or could not get through the house. I remind members opposite - because with a few exceptions most of them were not in government at that time - that the opposition when in government could not get the adoption legislation through the Parliament; we did. It could not get amendments to the Child Welfare Act 1947 through the Parliament; we did. We have introduced the children’s commission legislation. We have also introduced the most stringent and the best legislation for criminal records checking in the country. That is four major pieces of legislation that the Labor government has introduced in relation to child protection. For the interest of members opposite, I once again remind them that that rather peculiar figure of the Productivity Commission was 17 - one seven - million dollars in their last year in government. We have been increasing that steadily each year to $140 million, and more than 140 new staff. I think that answers the question - for the fourth time!
The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. SIMPSON : Also, there is a 50 per cent staff turnover at Midland DCD; the Perth DCD office is in crisis, with unacceptable workloads; and 45 child maltreatment allegations have been left unallocated at the Perth DCD office. What has the minister been doing for the past five years? Ms S.M. McHALE replied: This is the fourth identical question, so I do not intend to - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! I call to order the member for Nedlands and the Leader of the Opposition. Ms S.M. McHALE : I do not intend to repeat the last three answers, other than to remind the opposition that our government has introduced four major pieces of legislation that, when in government, the opposition either failed to introduce or could not get through the house. I remind members opposite - because with a few exceptions most of them were not in government at that time - that the opposition when in government could not get the adoption legislation through the Parliament; we did. It could not get amendments to the Child Welfare Act 1947 through the Parliament; we did. We have introduced the children’s commission legislation. We have also introduced the most stringent and the best legislation for criminal records checking in the country. That is four major pieces of legislation that the Labor government has introduced in relation to child protection. For the interest of members opposite, I once again remind them that that rather peculiar figure of the Productivity Commission was 17 - one seven - million dollars in their last year in government. We have been increasing that steadily each year to $140 million, and more than 140 new staff. I think that answers the question - for the fourth time!
Mr A.J. SIMPSON : Also, there is a 50 per cent staff turnover at Midland DCD; the Perth DCD office is in crisis, with unacceptable workloads; and 45 child maltreatment allegations have been left unallocated at the Perth DCD office. What has the minister been doing for the past five years? Ms S.M. McHALE replied: This is the fourth identical question, so I do not intend to - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! I call to order the member for Nedlands and the Leader of the Opposition. Ms S.M. McHALE : I do not intend to repeat the last three answers, other than to remind the opposition that our government has introduced four major pieces of legislation that, when in government, the opposition either failed to introduce or could not get through the house. I remind members opposite - because with a few exceptions most of them were not in government at that time - that the opposition when in government could not get the adoption legislation through the Parliament; we did. It could not get amendments to the Child Welfare Act 1947 through the Parliament; we did. We have introduced the children’s commission legislation. We have also introduced the most stringent and the best legislation for criminal records checking in the country. That is four major pieces of legislation that the Labor government has introduced in relation to child protection. For the interest of members opposite, I once again remind them that that rather peculiar figure of the Productivity Commission was 17 - one seven - million dollars in their last year in government. We have been increasing that steadily each year to $140 million, and more than 140 new staff. I think that answers the question - for the fourth time!
Ms S.M. McHALE replied: This is the fourth identical question, so I do not intend to - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! I call to order the member for Nedlands and the Leader of the Opposition. Ms S.M. McHALE : I do not intend to repeat the last three answers, other than to remind the opposition that our government has introduced four major pieces of legislation that, when in government, the opposition either failed to introduce or could not get through the house. I remind members opposite - because with a few exceptions most of them were not in government at that time - that the opposition when in government could not get the adoption legislation through the Parliament; we did. It could not get amendments to the Child Welfare Act 1947 through the Parliament; we did. We have introduced the children’s commission legislation. We have also introduced the most stringent and the best legislation for criminal records checking in the country. That is four major pieces of legislation that the Labor government has introduced in relation to child protection. For the interest of members opposite, I once again remind them that that rather peculiar figure of the Productivity Commission was 17 - one seven - million dollars in their last year in government. We have been increasing that steadily each year to $140 million, and more than 140 new staff. I think that answers the question - for the fourth time!
This is the fourth identical question, so I do not intend to - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! I call to order the member for Nedlands and the Leader of the Opposition. Ms S.M. McHALE : I do not intend to repeat the last three answers, other than to remind the opposition that our government has introduced four major pieces of legislation that, when in government, the opposition either failed to introduce or could not get through the house. I remind members opposite - because with a few exceptions most of them were not in government at that time - that the opposition when in government could not get the adoption legislation through the Parliament; we did. It could not get amendments to the Child Welfare Act 1947 through the Parliament; we did. We have introduced the children’s commission legislation. We have also introduced the most stringent and the best legislation for criminal records checking in the country. That is four major pieces of legislation that the Labor government has introduced in relation to child protection. For the interest of members opposite, I once again remind them that that rather peculiar figure of the Productivity Commission was 17 - one seven - million dollars in their last year in government. We have been increasing that steadily each year to $140 million, and more than 140 new staff. I think that answers the question - for the fourth time!
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! I call to order the member for Nedlands and the Leader of the Opposition. Ms S.M. McHALE : I do not intend to repeat the last three answers, other than to remind the opposition that our government has introduced four major pieces of legislation that, when in government, the opposition either failed to introduce or could not get through the house. I remind members opposite - because with a few exceptions most of them were not in government at that time - that the opposition when in government could not get the adoption legislation through the Parliament; we did. It could not get amendments to the Child Welfare Act 1947 through the Parliament; we did. We have introduced the children’s commission legislation. We have also introduced the most stringent and the best legislation for criminal records checking in the country. That is four major pieces of legislation that the Labor government has introduced in relation to child protection. For the interest of members opposite, I once again remind them that that rather peculiar figure of the Productivity Commission was 17 - one seven - million dollars in their last year in government. We have been increasing that steadily each year to $140 million, and more than 140 new staff. I think that answers the question - for the fourth time!
The SPEAKER : Order, members! I call to order the member for Nedlands and the Leader of the Opposition. Ms S.M. McHALE : I do not intend to repeat the last three answers, other than to remind the opposition that our government has introduced four major pieces of legislation that, when in government, the opposition either failed to introduce or could not get through the house. I remind members opposite - because with a few exceptions most of them were not in government at that time - that the opposition when in government could not get the adoption legislation through the Parliament; we did. It could not get amendments to the Child Welfare Act 1947 through the Parliament; we did. We have introduced the children’s commission legislation. We have also introduced the most stringent and the best legislation for criminal records checking in the country. That is four major pieces of legislation that the Labor government has introduced in relation to child protection. For the interest of members opposite, I once again remind them that that rather peculiar figure of the Productivity Commission was 17 - one seven - million dollars in their last year in government. We have been increasing that steadily each year to $140 million, and more than 140 new staff. I think that answers the question - for the fourth time!
Ms S.M. McHALE : I do not intend to repeat the last three answers, other than to remind the opposition that our government has introduced four major pieces of legislation that, when in government, the opposition either failed to introduce or could not get through the house. I remind members opposite - because with a few exceptions most of them were not in government at that time - that the opposition when in government could not get the adoption legislation through the Parliament; we did. It could not get amendments to the Child Welfare Act 1947 through the Parliament; we did. We have introduced the children’s commission legislation. We have also introduced the most stringent and the best legislation for criminal records checking in the country. That is four major pieces of legislation that the Labor government has introduced in relation to child protection. For the interest of members opposite, I once again remind them that that rather peculiar figure of the Productivity Commission was 17 - one seven - million dollars in their last year in government. We have been increasing that steadily each year to $140 million, and more than 140 new staff. I think that answers the question - for the fourth time!
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