Just nowFri 22 Aug 2025 at 3:28am

Analysis: Jim Chalmers’s roundtable produces ‘laundry basket’ instead of ‘big shiny box’

The NDIS plan shows that a big parliamentary win can inject a degree of political bravery. If the government had been re-elected with a tiny margin or in minority, would it have re-tackled the NDIS? And would it have done so in such a manner, without rounds of talks before the announcement?

In contrast to the approach on the NDIS, Chalmers has used his roundtable to present a masterclass in inclusive incrementalism.

Read the full analysis from Michelle Grattan in the link below.

35m agoFri 22 Aug 2025 at 2:54am

Jess Walsh provides more details on national register information

Early Childhood Education Minister Jess Walsh has provided more detail about what details will be included on the national register.

Walsh says it will include the contact details of early childhood educators who work across the country, and details of where they work.

It was also include information that regulators have, including who is prohibited, people under investigation and the status of a worker’s working with children checks.

“It is as Jason said, really quite extraordinary that we don’t have that kind of register right now today,” Walsh says.

And that’s the end of the press conference!

40m agoFri 22 Aug 2025 at 2:48am

Clare details what information will be available to parents

Jason Clare says more information available to parents soon about the performance of childcare centres, including when the regulator has last inspected the centre, and if the centre has breached national standards.

Clare says the government is considering whether to make sure centres have that physical information present in the front foyer of a centre.

“We may need legislation to do that, and so we will make a further decision about that when we meet in October,” Clare says.

44m agoFri 22 Aug 2025 at 2:45am

Register could be used to verify workers, Clare says

Will the register be used to verify workers? Potentially yes, according to Jason Clare.

“We think as we develop and build the register, it’s an opportunity to build that type of skills passport. For the qualification index that works to tell us more information about individuals in our centres,” he says.

45m agoFri 22 Aug 2025 at 2:43am

‘We’re not going to fix this unless we work as a team’: Clare

Jason Clare has been asked if the Commonwealth is considering investing in funding state regulators to ramp up inspections on centres.

Clare says that everyone has to step up, and has pointed to NSW, Victoria and SA investing more in child safety.

“We’re not going to fix this unless we work as a team and I hope you see in the announcements we have made today that this is not just the Commonwealth doing something all the states doing something. This is all of us working together to get the job done,” Clare says.

Pressed on whether the Commonwealth will fund state regulators to undertake inspections, Clare has pointed to the government’s announcement of $20 million for joint compliance and monitoring.

50m agoFri 22 Aug 2025 at 2:39am

Today’s announcements ‘not everything’ but ‘the next step’

Jason Clare has been asked whether the government needs to focus on “structural reform” to the childcare sector, including by introducing universal childcare.

The education minister says today’s resolution is “not everything” but rather “the next step”.

He says the government has made moves to ensure childcare centres don’t rely on temporary labour hire.

“The investment counts, that is one of the examples of the investment that the government is making to build a stronger system and that is working,” Clare says.

53m agoFri 22 Aug 2025 at 2:35am

Workers who resign will be required to remain on national register, Clare says

Childcare workers who are the national register will require to remain on the register when they resign from a job in childcare.

Jason Clare says in order for the register to work, providers will need to include that information.

He says to make it mandatory, it will require a change to the national law.

“This can sometimes be a slow and clunky process. We got the WD-40 out today to grease the wheels to get this done,” he says.

57m agoFri 22 Aug 2025 at 2:32am

Agencies to provide advice about whether regulation will be required for CCTV

Clare has been asked if there will be regulatory requirements that go with the implementation of CCTV in centres.

He says it the Centre for Child Protection and Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority will provide advice on that.

“We will commission an organisation to help us design the trial and review it. It will kick off October or November of this year and will report back to ministers on the progress of the trial,” he says.

59m agoFri 22 Aug 2025 at 2:30am

Questions remain about where CCTV will be placed in centres, Clare says

The education minister has been asked whether the CCTV trail will be accompanied by the principle that two adults have to be visible to children at all times.

He says the education regulator will go back and examine the ratio of children to staff.

On CCTV, Clare says the question remains about where the cameras will be placed in childcare centres, and the prospect that the vision could be hacked.

“Some operators say that they must not be in areas like the change areas or the toilets. In the even bigger question which is about privacy,” he says.

He says the government will work with the Centre for Child Protection on the rules about the use of CCTV in childcare centres.

1h agoFri 22 Aug 2025 at 2:25am

Every childcare centre company employee will be required to undertake national training

Jason Clare has been asked how badly parents have been let down by governments, as there has been no requirement for national child safety training.

The education minister says the national training introduced today extends what it taught at TAFE and at the higher education level.

“The most important thing we can do is upskill up the workforce to be able to identify somebody who is hiding in plain sight, not just grooming kids but grooming them,” Clare says.

He says everyone in the childcare centre, including the chief of an ASX listed childcare centre company, will be required to undertake the national training.

1h agoFri 22 Aug 2025 at 2:22am

Clare says national register will eventually be able to identify red flags

Moving on to questions now, and Jason Clare has been asked how the national register will work, and if it will include red flag behaviour.

The education minister says the register will be rolled out in stages, and will initially include the name of a childcare workers, place of employment, and later include employment history.

“Over time we want to build all that information to so we can see employment history and the information needed to identify red flags to tell if someone is moving quick from centre to centre to centre,” Clare says.

“We underline the point that would already be this is not a silver bullet, none of this is. None of it is a guarantee. It is essential component of what we need to do if we will keep our children safe,” he says.

1h agoFri 22 Aug 2025 at 2:18am

‘Momentous day’ for early childhood education in Australia, ACT minister says

Western Australia Education Minister Sabine Winton says she acknowledges it’s a difficult time for childcare workers.

She says WA is ready to “make sure that we are fully committed and also resourced to go forward with these important decisions and initiatives”.

ACT Early Childhood Minister Yvette Berry says it’s a “momentous day” for early childhood education.

“This is the most funding I have seen invested in the sector since the national quality framework over a decade ago,” Berry says.

1h agoFri 22 Aug 2025 at 2:13am

Abuse thrives in ‘dark spaces’, Tasmanian minister says

Northern Territory Education Minister Jo Hersey says she looks forward to rolling out the reforms.

“We are committed to these national safety reforms … we have complex issues right throughout the territory, but one thing we are certainly committed to is the safety of our children,” Hersey says.

Tasmania’s Education Minister Jo Palmer says Australia needs to put in place barriers to ensure children are not exposed to risk.

“We know when it comes to abuse, the most places where abuse thrives is in dark spaces or in silence spaces. We have been very loud about this right across this country, that we have will do everything we can shine a light into the sector,” Palmer says.

1h agoFri 22 Aug 2025 at 2:09am

Parents need ‘security’ knowing their children are safe in childcare

Queensland Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek says a national register is something his state has been lobbying for.

“We want all parents to have the security of knowing that their children are safe when they are in early childcare,” Langbroek says.

1h agoFri 22 Aug 2025 at 2:06am

South Australian minister says reforms will deter ‘nefarious’ actors

South Australian Education Minister Blair Boyer says today’s announced reforms will deter “nefarious” actors.

Boyer says he acknowledges the childcare workforce has taken a hit and the conversation has had a very real impact at a time when it’s difficult to find people to work in the sector.

“Making sure those people who seek to get access to those kids, who are experts at doing it in terms of getting access to not just vulnerable kids but also vulnerable systems will no longer be able to do that’s because it changes we are all making,” Boyer says.

1h agoFri 22 Aug 2025 at 2:02am

Reforms ‘will keep children safe both across borders’, Victorian minister says

Victorian Children’s Minister Lizzie Blandthorn says she is pleased to see there is a national conversation about banning the use of mobile phones at childcare centres and introducing a national register.

“Where there’s vulnerable people, there is indeed risk and the more we can build national systems that will keep children safe both across borders and between sectors that work with children that is critical,” Blandthorn says.

She says there’s still a lot more to work, and she looks forward to a meeting of ministers in October to discuss the measures.

1h agoFri 22 Aug 2025 at 1:58am

NSW minister says there was a ‘real sense of urgency’ at today’s meeting

NSW Finance Minister Courtney Houssos says there was a “real sense of urgency” about the need for reform at today’s meeting.

“That was something was shared by all of us and it is really important as we will but trust that we continue to work together,” Houssos says.

She says it was really important a national register of workers was established at a national level.

1h agoFri 22 Aug 2025 at 1:54am

Govt working to provide parents information on safety breaches in childcare centres

Jess Walsh says the government is working to provide parents with more information “immediately” about breaches in their childcare services.

“This has been a really horrific time for Australia’s children and parents. What they want from us is to work together and that is exactly what we have done,” Walsh says.

1h agoFri 22 Aug 2025 at 1:51am

Child safety reforms ‘most significant’ in Australia’s history: Jess Walsh

Early Childhood Education Minister Jess Walsh says state and territories have “stood shoulder to shoulder” to keep children safe in childcare.

“We have agreed on, by working together, the strongest and most significant package of child safety reforms in our nation’s history,” Walsh says.

She says the national child safety training will help drive “child safe cultures” in early childhood education.

1h agoFri 22 Aug 2025 at 1:46am

‘This work will never end’: Clare says

The education minister says mobile phones will be banned from childcare centres across state and territories from September this year.

Jason Clare says while these reforms won’t stop perpetrators of abuse from offending, it goes a long way.

“Is it everything we need to do? No of course it is not but it is the next thing we must do and we have agreed to do today and I really want to thank all of my state and territory colleagues,” Clare says.

“The awful truth is this work will never end because there will always be bad people who try to poke holes in the system and find vulnerabilities,” he says.

He says Australians expect the states and territories to work together and are not interested in excuses.