Qld Labor defends eight-year delay on scheme that could have caught Ashley Paul Griffith
Queensland Labor has defended an eight-year delay implementing child protection measures that could have caught Australia’s worst paedophile Ashley Paul Griffith.
Queensland Labor has defended an eight-year delay implementing a reportable conduct scheme that could have caught Australia’s worst paedophile Ashley Paul Griffith.
The LNP state government used Queensland Parliament to attack the former government’s delay in implementing the scheme, which forces organisations to report and investigate allegations or convictions of child abuse or child-related misconduct made against workers.
It was committed to in 2017 and, in 2018, then Labor premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said establishing a reportable conduct scheme was a priority for the government.
In 2020 then child safety minister Leanne Linard said it would be “our key focus over the coming year”.
However little happened until 2022, when Australia’s worst predator Ashley Paul Griffith was arrested and later charged with 1600 child sex offences.
Attorney-General Deb Frecklington on Tuesday questioned why Labor took four years to act on the reportable conduct scheme.
“Nine days after the arrest of Ashley Paul Griffin they decided to go into action after in 2017 promising Queenslanders they would bring in a scheme that could and should protect our children,” she said.
“It was a week after his arrest, nine days to be exact, Labor released consultation papers.
“They know that they should have and could have protected these children.
“Tell the people of Queensland why, why it was that you, as part of the government that sat on your hands while children of Queensland were being molested.”
Shadow treasurer Shannon Fentiman, a Labor child safety minister and attorney-general, said the former government progressed hundreds of recommendations from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
“Every year since the royal commission we passed legislation,” she said.
“There were also 80 recommendations from the Blue Card review, we implemented over 60.
“There was a lot of work being done to make sure that Queensland has one of the safest systems and in fact the Child Death Review Board acknowledges that Queensland has one of the strongest working with children systems in the country.”
Ms Fentiman, asked why the reportable conduct scheme was not legislated until 2024, said the Labor government had taken other strong steps.
“Western Australia was 2023, Queensland was 2024 and tragically, New South Wales had a reportable conduct scheme in place, but this vile predator still managed to fall through and continue to prey on vulnerable children,” she said.
“Our government took many strong steps to strengthen our child safety system.
“Bills passed every year and we’ve implemented so many of the recommendations from the Royal Commission, and of course, it is a priority to keep our kids safe.”
Queensland’s landmark review into system responses to child sexual abuse, the In Plain Sight report, found one in four Australians reported child sexual abuse occurred before they turned 18.
Ms Fentiman echoed the report’s recommendations for a national approach to child safety.
“This case by people of this vile perpetrator shows us why we need a national approach because even where reportable conduct schemes were in place, he still fell through the cracks,” she said.
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