Today, the Victorian Liberals and Nationals moved to introduce urgent reforms to overhaul Victoria's broken Working With Children Check (WWCC) system and strengthen protections for children.
Instead of working constructively with the Liberals and Nationals to prioritise children's safety, the Allan Labor Government voted down these reforms.
The Worker Screening Amendment (Safety of Children) Bill 2025 would have strengthened the ability to revoke or refuse a WWCC and empowered assessors to consider a broader range of relevant risk factors when assessing an applicant's suitability.
Despite being urged by the Victorian Ombudsman to implement these reforms in 2022, the Allan Labor Government has refused to act - leaving dangerous gaps in the system and placing children at unacceptable risk.
Tragically, allegations of child sexual abuse in Victorian childcare settings have exposed just how vulnerable the current system is and reinforced the need for urgent action.
The best time to implement these reforms was three years ago, when the Ombudsman first sounded the alarm.
The second-best time was today.
Victorians deserve to know who voted to keep the current broken system in place.
The following Members of the Legislative Assembly voted to block these child safety reforms:
The Labor Member for Bendigo East, Premier Jacinta Allan
The Labor Member for Niddrie, Deputy Premier Ben Carroll
The Labor Member for Wendouree, Juliana Addison
The Labor Member for Bundoora, Colin Brooks
The Labor Member for Sunbury, Josh Bull
The Labor Member for Ivanhoe, Anthony Carbines
The Labor Member for Pascoe Vale, Anthony Cianflone
The Labor Member for Laverton, Sarah Connolly
The Labor Member for Geelong, Chris Couzens
The Labor Member for Bass, Jordan Crugnale
The Labor Member for Mill Park, Lily D'Ambrosio
The Labor Member for Monbulk, Daniela De Martino
The Labor Member for Oakleigh, Steve Dimopoulos
The Labor Member for Frankston, Paul Edbrooke
The Labor Member for Mulgrave, Eden Foster
The Labor Member for Lara, Ella George
The Labor Member for Kororoit, Luba Grigorovitch
The Labor Member for Thomastown, Bronwyn Halfpenny
The Labor Member for Footscray, Katie Hall
The Labor Member for Box Hill, Paul Hamer
The Labor Member for Ripon, Martha Haylett
The Labor Member for Point Cook, Mathew Hilakari
The Labor Member for Williamstown, Melissa Horne
The Labor Member for Yan Yean, Lauren Kathage
The Labor Member for Carrum, Sonya Kilkenny
The Labor Member for Preston, Nathan Lambert
The Labor Member for Werribee, John Lister
The Labor Member for Narre Warren South, Gary Maas
The Labor Member for Bellarine, Alison Marchant
The Labor Member for Broadmeadows, Kathleen Matthews-Ward
The Labor Member for Melton, Steve McGhie
The Labor Member for Glen Waverley, John Mullahy
The Labor Member for Essendon, Danny Pearson
The Labor Member for Cranbourne, Pauline Richards
The Labor Member for Mordialloc, Tim Richardson
The Labor Member for Eureka, Michaela Settle
The Labor Member for Kalkallo, Ros Spence
The Labor Member for Bentleigh, Nick Staikos
The Labor Member for St Albans, Natalie Suleyman
The Labor Member for Clarinda, Meng Heang Tak
The Labor Member for Bayswater, Jackson Taylor
The Labor Member for Albert Park, Nina Taylor
The Labor Member for Northcote, Kat Theophanous
The Labor Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas
The Labor Member for Pakenham, Emma Vulin
The Labor Member for Greenvale, Iwan Walters
The Labor Member for Tarneit, Dylan Wight
The Labor Member for Dandenong, Gabrielle Williams
The Labor Member for Narre Warren North, Belinda Wilson
Shadow Attorney General, Michael O'Brien said, "Today Labor put playing politics ahead of protecting Victorian children. We simply want to close the loopholes that put kids at risk, but Labor voted against our Bill in favour of more dithering and delay.
Shadow Minister for Education, Jess Wilson, said "The system is broken and now is the time for urgent action to prioritise the safety of children.
"These were common sense, practical reforms that would have immediately strengthen protections for children but sadly the Premier and her government decided playing politics was more important."
