JOINT MEDIA RELEASE 19 November 2025
Today’s Senate Education and Employment References Committee inquiry into early childhood education quality and safety revealed a series of systemic failures are preventing government from addressing the ongoing safety crisis in our child care centres.
The inquiry heard evidence from a wide range of police, law enforcement and child safety expert witnesses.
The Coalition called for this inquiry in response to the shocking allegations of sexual abuse of children in the child care industry. Media reporting has highlighted how paedophiles are actively targeting child care settings to propagate their vile crimes.
Shadow Minister for Education and Early Learning Julian Leeser said he was very disturbed to hear of some of the delays on key safety measures and is not confident bureaucracies are communicating with one another.
“Education Ministers agreed in August, for example, that CCTV was one of the most tangible and urgent safety measures. However, there were mixed views from experts on the use of CCTV at the Inquiry hearing and we learnt the Commonwealth’s advisory group on CCTV hasn’t even yet met.”
“The experts were clear that we need urgent action to improve safety in the child care system. But how can that work begin if government agencies are tied up in bureaucracy?”
“We stand ready to work constructively with the Government. The Coalition has committed that child safety is above politics – this work is not partisan, but it is urgent.” Mr Leeser said.
Shadow Attorney-General Andrew Wallace said if it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a nation to protect one.
“Today’s evidence should remove any doubt about why stronger national child protection laws are needed. When the AFP tells us online child exploitation is getting worse, not better, the Commonwealth has a duty to respond. That includes, among other things, implementing a national register that actually stops offenders moving between jurisdictions and mandatory minimum sentences that reflect the scale of the harm these predators inflict.”
“As Shadow Attorney-General, what stood out to me was the AFP’s clear message that gaps in legislation and information-sharing weaken our entire child-safety system. With over 82,000 online exploitation reports in a year, thousands of alleged child sex offenders are evading the law. The Coalition is ready to do the hard policy and legislative work needed to protect children, because nothing matters more than protecting our most vulnerable,” Mr Wallace said.
Shadow Assistant Minister for Education and Early Learning Zoe McKenzie said the inquiry revealed “troubling signs that the safety net around our youngest children is fraying.”
“Evidence from the Attorney-General’s Department shows the Education Minister and the Minister for Early Childhood Education have not been directly briefed on critical elements of the Working With Children Checks (WWCC) reform process.
First Assistant Secretary Chris Collett confirmed the WWCC Reform Taskforce is confined to reporting only to its own Minister.
“It is essential that every minister involved is fully across the risks and the fixes. If the Education Minister is missing key information, what other gaps in our child-safety system are being left wide open?”
Chair of the Senate Education and Employment References Committee, Senator Maria Kovacic, said the evidence uncovered in today’s hearing was extremely confronting, but offered a foundation for the committee to further explore avenues of reform.
“We heard evidence of multiple systemic failures in the protection of children, from law enforcement, police, and advocacy groups. Officials can’t talk to the right minister, police can’t access the tools they need, and common sense systems like databases aren’t being used.”
“I look forward to continuing this critical inquiry, because Australian families deserve to know that their precious children are safe when they are in child care.”
“We were warned that parents are now second-guessing every single day they leave their children in care. As a parent and as a legislator, I understand that fear. Safety is the first and top priority for families with children in child care..”
Senator Blyth said today’s evidence was deeply alarming.
“The disturbing reality is that child sex offenders appear to have infiltrated early learning and child care centres. That is an unacceptable failure of the system.”
“Families deserve real choice in child care, but choice means nothing if vulnerable children aren’t safe.”
“We owe it to every child, every victim, and every family to get this right,” Senator Blyth said.
[ENDS]
Media Contacts
Leeser: Clayton Hopper – 0449 553 243 – clayton.hopper@aph.gov.au
Wallace: Brendan West – 0402 556 646 – brendan.west@aph.gov.au
McKenzie: Conor Barnes – 0435 842 136 – conor.barnes@aph.gov.au
Kovacic: Francis Bolster – 0407 487 280 – francis.bolster@aph.gov.au
Blyth: Jana Mates – 0413 277 051 – jana.mates@aph.gov.au
