The public exposure of alleged paedophile childcare worker Joshua Brown was a watershed moment for Victorians.
Brown worked in at least 24 childcare centres and faces more than 70 charges. Two thousand children were sent for STI testing.
Clearly, our childcare system is fundamentally broken and, as a mother, I could not be more dismayed.
Recently, the Opposition introduced a bill to overhaul the Working With Children Check (WWCC).
Labor voted it down.
The same government that tells us how to live our lives couldn’t bring itself to back straightforward legislation to keep our kids safe.
But we’ll continue pursuing reform.
A Battin Liberal Government would introduce:
Stronger screening – Tightened processes and records of WWCC holders and up-to-date evidence of training.
Transparency – Parental access to centre safety data, an independent star rating system of centres, and a pilot program of parent advisory groups to guide policymaking.
Workforce quality – A register of educators, improved training, psychometric testing for new workers, and strengthened whistle-blower protections.
Independent oversight – A new statutory authority to investigate and report to Parliament.
Technology safeguards – A ban on personal phones during shifts, and CCTV in all early learning centres.
Federal cooperation – Linking federal childcare subsidies to safety performance.
In the Legislative Council, the Liberals successfully passed a motion with bipartisan support to refer the performance of the childcare regulator for investigation by the Victorian Ombudsman.
One of the most important duties of any government is to protect children.
While we can’t eliminate all risk, the recently exposed systemic failures showed that action must be taken now.
And that’s exactly what the Liberals are fighting for.
