Latest news with #BenCarroll
Sky News AU
20 hours ago
- Sky News AU
‘Children will be abused': Deputy Premier Ben Carroll grilled over Allan government's failure to heed commissioner's dire warning
Deputy Premier Ben Carroll has been grilled by journalists after it was revealed the state's former Commissioner for Children and Young People had issued a dire warning about the failure to adequately fund the state's Reportable Conduct Scheme. The Age revealed on Wednesday that former Commissioner Liana Buchanan had been pleading with the state government for years to increase funding for the scheme - which has been frozen since it was set up - warning that the Commission did not have the resources to investigate the skyrocketing number of reports it was receiving. In submission to a 2022 review of the scheme, the former commissioner laid out what was at stake. 'Without additional funding … children will be abused, or continue to be abused, by a person who would have otherwise been prevented from working with children as a result of the Scheme and the Commission's actions,' the submission states. Ms Buchanan resigned as Commissioner for Children and Young People in March. Her prediction is back in the spotlight as the Commission failed to act on two substantiated reports against Joshua Dale Brown alleging non-sexual physical aggression against children. Brown is facing charges relating to more than 70 alleged incidents of abuse after working at more than 20 childcare centres across Melbourne. Deputy Premier Ben Carroll said the alleged abuse carried out by Brown was an 'atrocity' and both the state and commonwealth governments had a 'steadfast' resolve to prevent it ever occurring in the future. 'We've got to make sure that the regulation and the investment is there and it is thorough and transparent, to do everything we can to support people like Liana to do their job the best they can,' he said. But the Deputy Premier claimed they had increased funding to the Commission for Children and Young People during the period. Overall funding to the agency was increased by 11 per cent between 2021 and 2024 – a rate lower than inflation – but funding for the Reportable Conduct Scheme has been frozen since it was set up in 2017. The number of reports the Commission received increased by 81 per cent between 2017 and 2023, and then increased 30 per cent the following year. When this distinction between funding for the scheme and funding for the agency was pointed out to Mr Carroll, the Deputy Premier said the scheme was not solely administered by the Commission, before adding the government would be guided by the review being conducted by former SA Premier Jay Weatherill and senior bureaucrat Pamela White. 'You've got to remember the reportable conduct scheme, it's not just Liana Buchanan ... Victoria Police have a role in it. It is a broad scheme (with incidents) that get reported on, wherever there has been an issue. 'So her office has been funded. They play an integral role in it. But if … we need to do more, we will do more." Mr Carroll also said Minister for Children Lizzie Blandthorn always "does everything she can" to advocate for "more funding for the Children's Commissioner". But when reporters again highlighted the government's failure to heed the multiple warnings from its own Commissioner, the Deputy Premier admitted the 'deeply distressing' alleged abuse could have been prevented. 'This is a fragmented, decentralised system that relies on the end user paying it through Centrelink subsidies. That is why reform at the federal and state level is so critical. 'It has been at arm's length for government for too long, and that is what will happen through the Weatherill review and the work that Minister Blandthorn is doing with Minister (Jason) Clare to make sure that the early childhood sector is reformed and it gets the investment and the regulation and transparency that it needs.' Shadow Minister for Child Protection Roma Britnell said by ignoring warnings from Ms Buchanan, the government had failed the families and children affected by the recent alleged abuse scandal in the "worst possible way." "The failures of the Allan Labor government in protecting children have reached a new low. Ignoring warnings from the Children's watchdog and continuing to underfund a safety program designed to ensure allegations of child abuse are acted on quickly and effectively has tragically resulted in the Commission's alleged worst fears," Ms Britnell said. "The tragedy for the families, children, and all affected ... is that they may have been prevented if the Allan Labor government acted on the warnings of the Children's Commission." The Shadow Minister also claimed the Allan government was also attempting to "impede investigations by refusing to supply requested information". "The Liberals and Nationals called for the recall of Parliament to establish a registration system, strengthen the Working With Children Check system, install CCTV where appropriate, and create an independent and strong watchdog for the sector."
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Critical' children's commissioner role ‘needs to be filled with urgency'
The critical role of Commissioner for Children and Young People must be filled urgently, the Victorian government says, despite leaving the role vacant for more than three months before the state's most serious childcare safety crisis erupted. Deputy Premier and Education Minister Ben Carroll also said the state's rapid review into the childcare sector would look into the government's failure to heed the former commissioner's warnings on child sexual abuse over several years. This masthead revealed on Wednesday that Victoria's former commissioner for children and young people, Liana Buchanan, had long predicted in her warnings to the government that the continued underfunding of a vital oversight scheme administered by the Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP) would result in the abuse of children. Substantiated allegations the man at the centre of Melbourne's childcare crisis, Joshua Brown, had acted violently toward children in his care were reported to the Reportable Conduct Scheme for review but were not escalated to a suspension of his working with children check. Brown now stands accused of abusing eight preschoolers at a Point Cook childcare centre in 2022 and 2023, with more allegations being investigated in a case that has prompted authorities to call for thousands of children to be tested for sexually transmitted infections. Responding on Wednesday morning to revelations about Buchanan's warnings, Carroll said the rapid review, led by former South Australian premier Jay Weatherill, will 'look at everything'. 'My understanding is that they will look at everything,' Carroll said. 'Lizzie Blandthorn, the minister for children, the premier, have all said we're going to implement all the recommendations, and if it does include changes to the system around families, children, the reportable conduct scheme, for example, yes, certainly we'll accept those recommendations and make those changes.'
The Age
a day ago
- Politics
- The Age
‘Critical' children's commissioner role ‘needs to be filled with urgency'
The critical role of Commissioner for Children and Young People must be filled urgently, the Victorian government says, despite leaving the role vacant for more than three months before the state's most serious childcare safety crisis erupted. Deputy Premier and Education Minister Ben Carroll also said the state's rapid review into the childcare sector would look into the government's failure to heed the former commissioner's warnings on child sexual abuse over several years. This masthead revealed on Wednesday that Victoria's former commissioner for children and young people, Liana Buchanan, had long predicted in her warnings to the government that the continued underfunding of a vital oversight scheme administered by the Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP) would result in the abuse of children. Substantiated allegations the man at the centre of Melbourne's childcare crisis, Joshua Brown, had acted violently toward children in his care were reported to the Reportable Conduct Scheme for review but were not escalated to a suspension of his working with children check. Brown now stands accused of abusing eight preschoolers at a Point Cook childcare centre in 2022 and 2023, with more allegations being investigated in a case that has prompted authorities to call for thousands of children to be tested for sexually transmitted infections. Responding on Wednesday morning to revelations about Buchanan's warnings, Carroll said the rapid review, led by former South Australian premier Jay Weatherill, will 'look at everything'. 'My understanding is that they will look at everything,' Carroll said. 'Lizzie Blandthorn, the minister for children, the premier, have all said we're going to implement all the recommendations, and if it does include changes to the system around families, children, the reportable conduct scheme, for example, yes, certainly we'll accept those recommendations and make those changes.'
The Age
a day ago
- Sport
- The Age
Dozens of schools to open up sports facilities after hours for western communities
More than 40 government schools in Melbourne's and Victoria's west will open their ovals and gyms to the community once classes are over in a pilot program to give Victorians more public space. Deputy Premier and Education Minister Ben Carroll will announce the trial program on Wednesday, making fields and facilities available at 41 government-owned school campuses, all of which have been recently opened. Starting immediately, the program builds on a recommendation from Infrastructure Victoria calling for the opening of about 500 schools that are not available to the public, providing the equivalent of 110 MCGs of open space. 'Our kids deserve excellent gyms, ovals, playgrounds and open spaces – now, more Victorians will be able to enjoy them too,' Carroll said. 'This move will mean everyone can enjoy our record investment in schools – turning them into thriving local hubs that encourage people to get active and learn new skills.' The 41 schools in the pilot program have been open since 2017 at the earliest. Most of those in the list are from the growing local government areas of Wyndham and Melton, alongside some inner-city locations including Docklands Primary School and North Melbourne Primary School.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Renewed calls to make major driver's licence change for older Aussies: 'We have to'
The discussion of whether older Australians should be subject to additional driver's licence requirements has been reignited following a fatal car accident involving a 91-year-old driver. Authorities in Victoria are looking to review the road rules after a two-year-old boy was hospitalised and two adults, thought to be his grandparents, died after they were hit while walking on a suburban street in Melbourne last week. The elderly woman behind the wheel at the tragedy in the Melbourne suburb of Wantirna South last Thursday was "terribly shaken", police said. She was taken to hospital with minor injuries and has yet to be interviewed by police. The morning after the incident, Victoria's Acting Premier Ben Carroll renewed the discussion on driving regulations for the elderly and confirmed he would work with the road safety minister on the matter. Road safety advocates across the country have since weighed in on the debate, with Russell White, founder of the Australian Road Safety Foundation, arguing the latest incident should be the catalyst for standardised change across the country. "Sadly, it's taken someone to have a serious incident and for lives to be lost for us to have discussions like this," he told Yahoo News. "We have to try and look at how we become more proactive in this space and take some probably hard decisions to alter what people's view is on driving." Victoria does not have age-based driving safety requirements, although drivers aged 75 and older must renew their licence every three years, which can involve various tests. In NSW, Queensland, the ACT, Tasmania and the Northern Territory, drivers older than 75 are required to have a health check, while older drivers in South Australia must complete self-assessments. In Western Australia, an annual medical assessment is required to renew a driver's licence after turning 80. White believes all drivers need more rigorous training over the years after they acquire their licence. "In an ideal world, I would like to see some form of additional coaching that happens," he said. It could come with a practical driving evaluation once a decade, he suggested. While he believes that it may be unpopular to implement such a framework, saving lives is the ultimate priority. "We've got to look at standardising the framework for older drivers, including lifelong learning as far as coaching is concerned," he said. Startling statistics released in the past year reveal elderly drivers are disproportionately represented in road crash statistics. Older drivers aged 85 and up are disproportionately affected by fatal crashes, according to data by Road Safety Education Limited (RSE) earlier this year, while insurance company AAMI singled out senior Australians as risky drivers in their Decade of Driving report. Following the incident, Dr Anita Muñoz, Victorian chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, argued that age is not an innate barrier to safe driving and people of all ages must recognise their responsibility when it comes to being a safe driver. "Fitness to drive and safety on the road is, however, something we should all be proactive about — for ourselves, with our family members, and as GPs, with our patients," she said. "There's an association between our health and our social connectedness and mobility, so it's valuable for older people to continue to drive, but only for as long as it is safe. "Proactive discussions about safety on the road are part of what we as GPs discuss with older patients, but it's something you should think about too, for yourself and others in your life." Ben Rogers, CEO of Council on the Ageing (COTA) Victoria, which represents the interests of older Australians, cautioned against licensing requirements, arguing that Victoria leads the country in how it approaches the issue by focusing on "ability rather than age". "We don't want to see any sort of legislation change in Victoria, but we are happy to have the conversation about mandatory testing for all drivers," he told Yahoo. "It's incumbent on all of us on the roads to make sure that we are driving safely. "Driving is a privilege, no matter whether you're 45 or 75, if you are not fit to drive you shouldn't be on the roads." He believes family, friends, and medical practitioners should be supporting conversations with drivers about their fitness to drive across all age groups and ensuring that subsidised additional training is available for those who wish to partake in it. Investigations into the exact circumstances surrounding the collision at Wantirna South remain ongoing, Victoria Police confirmed. — With AAP Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
