Tuesday, 29 October 2024

Questions without notice and ministers statements

Child protection

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:01): My question is to the Premier. In the last four years 66 children in the government’s family services system have died, most of them younger than two years old – 66 children. After 10 years of Labor, why are more vulnerable children in Victoria suffering and dying than ever before?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:02): In answering the Leader of the Opposition’s question, can I at the outset say that the death of any child is an absolute tragedy. Also, particularly for vulnerable little Victorians, it is a particular tragedy for those family members and loved ones, but it is also something that is deeply and keenly felt by every child protection worker who works with those children and their families. At the outset of answering the Leader of the Opposition’s question I would like to acknowledge those frontline child protection workers who work incredibly hard, with great care and compassion, with some of the most vulnerable members of our community. They deserve our support and they deserve our appreciation, and one way that our government has showed that support in terms of backing the work of those child protection workers has been to work incredibly hard to strengthen the child protection and family services system. Yes, we have made additional investments. We have made additional investments over the last five years of around $4 billion. That has meant that we have more child protection workers than ever before.

But we also know that these are not just incredibly tragic circumstances; they are also reflective of very complex family arrangements and very complex situations that some of these most vulnerable little Victorians find themselves in. That is why I want to particularly highlight the work that the Minister for Children has been leading over the past two years around not only securing the additional investment that sees additional child protection workers working with those vulnerable Victorians and their families but also looking at how we can reform the way we provide care for those little Victorians, support their family settings and strengthen the family environment for those children, because can I say the wellbeing and safety of those children are absolutely at the centre of everything we do. That is why, for example, not only in last year’s budget was there additional investment in the child protection system; there was also work and reform to see that all children in residential care will have access to therapeutic supports by the 2025–26 year, because again it recognises that alongside additional investment we need to change and support and strengthen the way we work with some of our most vulnerable Victorians.

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:05): Noting the Premier’s answer about the reforms and the work of the minister that the Premier mentioned, why is it then that in 2022–‍23 nine children died, in 2023–24 17 children died and in the September quarter just past six little kids in state care died? If that pattern continues throughout this year, we will see a year-on-year increase over that period. Why are more Victorian young kids dying if the Premier is to be believed about the actions her government is taking?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:06): I identified in the Leader of the Opposition’s question a hypothetical and some assumptions that he has made, and those assumptions do not reflect the work that is going on right now by the child protection workforce, who work incredibly hard with these vulnerable Victorians. This is not a set of statistics; these are kids. These are vulnerable little kids that should not have their lives played politics with. They should be supported.

John Pesutto: On a point of order, Speaker, as members of the opposition we take great offence to the imputation –

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

John Pesutto: May I finish, please, Speaker?

The SPEAKER: What is your point of order?

John Pesutto: There was nothing hypothetical in our question. Our job as an opposition is to question the government on its performance.

The SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, you need to state –

John Pesutto: Children are dying, and we asked a very respectful question of the Premier.

The SPEAKER: You need to state your point of order.

John Pesutto: Relevance, Speaker.

The SPEAKER: The Premier was being relevant to the question that was asked.

Jacinta ALLAN: I reiterate: the safety and wellbeing of children are absolutely at the centre of the work we do. It is the centre and focus of the Minister for Children, and we will continue to look at ways that we can strengthen and support our child protection system that are in the best interests of vulnerable little Victorians.