As Attorney-General, I made clear that my top priority at my first meeting with my state and territory counterparts would be driving reform to the Working with Children Check (WWCC) system to close loopholes and strengthen protections.
That’s why I’m pleased that at my first meeting of the Standing Council of Attorneys-General I secured agreement from all states and territories to do exactly that - progressing ambitious reforms to keep our young people safe.
At the heart of these reforms are three major changes to ensure the WWCC system is stronger, more reliable and more consistent across the country.
Firstly, if someone is rejected for a WWCC in one state, they will be rejected everywhere – banned in one, banned in all.
We have also committed to a new national system that will monitor changes to criminal history of WWCC holders in near real-time. Finally, WWCC assessment frameworks will be stronger and more consistent nation-wide.
Together, these measures will significantly strengthen child safety, complementing the work led by the Education Minister, Jason Clare, to enhance outcomes in the early childhood education and care sector.
Ensuring the safety of our most vulnerable, particularly our young people is the foremost priority of any government, and it is one that the Albanese Government takes extremely seriously.
In recent weeks, like so many parents and families across Australia and our community, I have been shaken by the horrific cases of alleged abuse in childcare centres.
When parents drop their little ones off, they should be able to do so with confidence that they will come home safe at the end of the day.
Successive governments have let Australians down, by failing to progress reforms to the WWCC system to ensure it is fit-for-purpose and keeps our young people safe. This ends now.
Working as a team, the Albanese Government along with states and territories are committed to ensuring our children grow up safe from harm. There is no higher priority, and we will not rest until that is a reality for every Australian family.
Michelle Rowland MP is the Federal Member for Greenway and Attorney-General of Australia. If you need assistance with any Federal issue, you can contact Michelle by phone on 02 9671 4780 or by email at Michelle.Rowland.MP@aph.gov.au
