The state government introduced legislation on Tuesday 27 August designed to keep children safe in response to breaches of child safety by daycare staff earlier in the year and calls from opposition parties for major reform.
Premier Jacinta Allan, Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny, and Minister for Children Lizzie Blandthorn introduced new laws to suspend Working with Children Checks (WWCC) immediately if a person’s status needed any re-assessment.
The government said in a statement that members of parliament would ‘not be leaving the house’ until the bill was passed.
Key proposed changes included:
• Ensuring that anyone banned from child-related work interstate will be banned in Victoria
• Requiring any WWCC clearance to be immediately suspended while it is under re-assessment for intended revocation, with no exceptions
• Allowing a WWCC clearance to be cancelled if it was obtained using false or misleading information, or if the individual is prohibited from applying for a clearance
• Extending the time limits for laying charges where false information has been provided to obtain a WWCC clearance from 12 months to five-and-a-half years.
This government said it hoped the new laws would come into effect as soon as the bill was passed and received royal assent.
Premier Jacinta Allan said there was one clear priority in the bill.
“Child safety comes first – that’s why I’m implementing a child safety overhaul,” Ms Allan said.
“Parliament will sit for as long as it takes to get this Bill passed – no one’s leaving until it’s done.”
