Wednesday, 19 March 2025

Child protection

Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:23): My question is again to the Minister for Children. Minister, how many children in state care are currently on bail?

Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:23): This is a question that has been asked of me previously, and bail is not a matter for my responsibilities. Children who are in the child protection system are exactly that, children in the child protection system. The question in relation to bail is a question for another minister. I am happy to –

Members interjecting.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: President, again, I cannot hear myself.

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

A member interjected.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: Exactly: anything to demonise child protection workers and the children who are in care is where those opposite are sadly, sadly at. I am more than happy to continue to talk to you about the achievements of our child protection system and the work that we are doing with vulnerable children. I am happy to go back to your previous question, Ms Crozier, and talk to you about how our child protection workers, from the moment a report is made, are working with the reporters, the children and the families to assess risk and make sure that appropriate case management is given to each and every child at the appropriate stage that they come into that system – 17,000 children on any given day – but bail is a matter for a different minister.

Members interjecting.

Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:25): Of course she knows. If she does not know, it is total incompetence. There is a supplementary question I would like to ask, and I take note that the minister just refused to answer that very simple question. Your government has failed to keep the community safe as the rate of serious youth crime continues to rise. Sadly, many of those youth offenders are in state care. You are failing them and you are failing the workers. So why won’t you be honest with the Victorian community about the number of children under your care who are on bail, because isn’t the community entitled to know?

Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:25): The Treasurer opposite just made the point that the numbers of children who are in care change day in and day out. Day in and day out, it is a fluid proposition, but at any point in –

Members interjecting.

Gayle Tierney: On a point of order, President, I cannot hear the minister and she is sitting right next to me. I ask that the house be called to order.

The PRESIDENT: I uphold the point of order. The minister, without any assistance.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: I appreciate that. On recollection, I believe Ms Crozier asked me exactly this question back in November last year. But I am more than happy, Ms Crozier, to talk to you about the ways in which we support children in out-of-home care, whatever their circumstances. They are children who are in the care of the state, and it is the state’s responsibility – a responsibility, I know, of child protection workers day in and day out. You might think that child protection workers are failing those children, but on this side of the house we have confidence that our child protection workers work tirelessly in very difficult circumstances on the front line – as, again, your previous question went to – with vulnerable children and their families, whether they are in home-based care or residential care or receiving the support of the system in other ways – (Time expired)

Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:27): I move:

That the minister’s answer be taken into consideration on the next day of meeting.

Motion agreed to.