Kids’ safety should be ‘vote-winning issue’ National Children’s Commissioner declares

The National Children’s Commissioner has slammed political leaders for nearly a decade of inaction on child safety, calling for a more ambitious response to the childcare crisis.

National Children's Commissioner Anne Hollonds says the crisis in childcare shows governments must increase the pace of reforms, even if they are expensive.

The National Children’s Commissioner has slammed political leaders for nearly a decade of inaction on child safety, calling for a more ambitious response to the childcare crisis and for the public to maintain its pressure on politicians.

Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds told The Sunday Telegraph she holds “very deep frustration” that recommendations from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse still have not been fully implemented nearly ten years later.

Ms Hollonds expressed support for News Corp’s Keep Them Safe campaign to fulfil the national Working With Children Check guidelines recommended by the Royal Commission.

Neither state nor federal leaders have been “held accountable for getting it done,” she said, doubling down on her longstanding plea to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to appoint a cabinet Minister for Children.

The Commissioner has also urged the Prime Minister to include child safety and wellbeing on the official list of national cabinet priorities.

National Children's Commissioner Anne Hollonds, who spoke to the Sunday Telegraph for its Keep Them Safe campaign. Picture: Richard Dobson

“I’m hoping this, now, is a vote-winning issue,” she said.

“Historically it hasn’t been, and a lot of assumptions have been made that other issues are more important.

“But what I’ve seen in the last few weeks is that it’s not just parents who are outraged by what’s happened, (people) are saying ‘I’m not even a parent and I’m angry’.”

Ms Hollonds said the recent crisis in childcare shows governments must also look beyond the Royal Commission’s recommendations, and increase the pace of reforms even if they are expensive.

“Costs should not be a barrier to keeping children safe,” she said.

“The widespread, nationwide level of concern really signifies the opportunity now to do the work of addressing those barriers.

“This is our best chance, and I don’t want us to blow it and move on … with just these few measures that have been discussed.”

Originally published as Kids’ safety should be ‘vote-winning issue’ National Children’s Commissioner declares