What the Tasmanian Liberals will do:

Change the law to implement mandatory screening of all people working with children.

The Tasmanian Liberals commit to implement mandatory employment screening – not as a guideline or a policy, but as the law – for any person working with children.

This is something we have been calling for, but which has been stubbornly blocked by State Labor.

And we will introduce the necessary changes to the law in the first sitting period after being elected.

And since 2004 the Independent Tasmanian Commissioner for Children has been imploring the State Labor Government to act in this area.

Screening is an important measure to help ensure children in our community are protected from persons who may seek to cause them harm.  There is a complete absence of a uniform, legislative based system of screening in Tasmania for all employees, volunteers and self-employed people who work with children in the Government and non-Government sectors. 

Other States

Similar systems have been developed or are in the process of being developed in every other Australian jurisdiction.  For example, since the matter was first raised with the Tasmanian Government, Victoria and Western Australia have both commenced operation of comprehensive legislative based screening systems in this area.

The previous WA State Labor Government sped up implementation of its Working with Children Checks, which have already seen, in that State, more than 85,000 people in child-related occupations screened for charges or convictions that could make them a risk to children.

Under the laws that were introduced in 2006, volunteers, employed and self-employed people who are in contact with children are required to undergo a comprehensive criminal record check.  In announcing the ‘fast-tracking’ of the process, the then WA Government said 30 people who had applied for checks had been banned from working with children.

Since the former Tasmanian Commissioner for Children David Fanning first called on the State Labor Government to implement this protection in 2004, the State Opposition has been pressing the State Labor Government for action on an appropriate scheme for Tasmania.

Too important to ignore

This issue is too important to keep ignoring.  There is nothing more important than the protection of the vulnerable in our community.
And many workers with children strongly support mandatory screening.

There needs to be both action and leadership in this area, not just the continued inertia we have seen from the State Labor Government.

Action is needed in this area – since at least 2004 the State Government has been making excuses.  The time has come for leadership, and a Hodgman Liberal Government will act.  Tasmanian children deserve a lot better than this after 10 years.