Jess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Early Childhood Education) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator. The reports last night and over the last couple of days have been absolutely horrific and absolutely confronting. They really have been every parent's worst nightmare. What is important of course is that we put in place a strong and comprehensive package of measures to help keep children safe in early childhood education, and that is exactly what we have done.

In answer to your specific question, Senator, I have appeared on the ABC five times on this topic, talking about this strong and comprehensive package of reforms that we are delivering. One of the aspects of the reports last night and over the last couple of days was the scale of the issues that we are facing, which are significant and horrific. Of course our job in the early childhood education and care portfolio is to make sure that we can support those educators and providers who are doing the right thing and shut the door on those educators and providers who are out there seeking to do harm. We stood shoulder to shoulder with our state and territory counterparts back in August and delivered a strong and comprehensive package of reform, including the first-ever nationwide register of early childhood educators and mandatory training for early childhood educators.