Editorial: No politicking, just urgent action to protect our kids

Queensland’s failure to stop Australia’s worst pedophile is not where the state needs to focus attention right now, writes the editor.

Ashley Paul Griffith

For two decades, Australia’s worst pedophile terrorised dozens of children inside Queensland childcare centres.

It’s a gut-wrenching blight on our community, but the salt in the wound is that he could have been stopped – five times, in fact, according to a new review – if the need for better reporting systems had been taken more seriously by governments years before his arrest.

Five disturbing reports and 18 other concerns were made to various childcare centres where Ashley Paul Griffith spread his atrocities, but the review found that because Queensland had not implemented crucial recommendations from a national royal commission in 2017, the clues to stop this monster were never followed.

Some complaints were reported to authorities while others were handled formally or informally by the centres.

With the 10-month review by Queensland’s Child Death Review Board into whether Labor’s failure to implement dozens of recommendations from a 2017 Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse could have prevented Griffith from committing the heinous crimes, the blame game will be on.

But the temptation to focus on their failings – or those of the current LNP government, who have now had 12 months to get the ball rolling on mandatory reporting – is not where the state needs to focus attention right now. There are plenty of issues for our politicians to play politics with. But this should not be one.

The only response should be to urgently do what is required to protect our most vulnerable.

FIRST TEST MUST RETURN

The iconic Gabba cricket ground has again delivered a magnificent win for Australia – proving yet again why Fortress Brisbane should always host the first Test match of the summer.

We have suggested in these pages that this Gabba match was the Real First Test of the summer – and we did so to make a serious point.

For touring teams, the Woolloongabba arena has long been an intimidating first stop on an often daunting tour of Australia. This is a tradition we simply must revive.

No Test will be played at the Gabba for the first time next year, and Adelaide has secured the first match of the 2027-28 series.

Premier David Crisafulli – a diehard cricket tragic – has said he is ready to “arm-wrestle” with Cricket Australia and other states to get the first Test back to the city where it belongs. He should.

Mr Crisafulli has rightly pointed out that the first Test is identified with Brisbane, just as Melbourne is renowned for the Boxing Day Test.

“I think the case writes itself, I think Test cricket is best when it goes longer than two days,” Mr Crisafulli said. “We will mount credible cases as to why I think the first Test of the summer should be here for a myriad of reasons, including the record of Australian teams, but also the identity of Australians because that’s what happens – on Boxing Day you go to Melbourne, first Test is here.”

Sports Minister Tim Mander supported his boss, declaring Queensland is “the spiritual home of the first Test of the summer”. He is also right.

And he added the undeniable reason all Aussie cricket fans should want the first Test back at the Gabba: touring teams fear playing here.

“The Gabbatoir has always been a fortress for the Australian cricket team, and opposition teams dread playing here because of our unbelievable record, tough conditions and passionate crowds,” Mr Mander said.

And what an unbelievable record it is.

Australia has won 42 times at the Gabba from 67 Tests – its best win-loss ratio among regular home grounds. Australia has not lost a first Test here since 1988. England has failed to win at the venue since 1986.

With massive crowds flooding into the ground over the first four days, it is clearly a favourite for the fans as well as the Australian players.

The 25,000 people who watched the Aussies take a 2-0 lead in the Ashes yesterday helped take the total crowd numbers to over 130,000 – well above the 101,000 who turned up in Perth for the two-day warm-up game that masqueraded as this summer’s first Test last month.

Cricket Australia will no doubt make this entire contest a bidding war between states. They shouldn’t. But that’s the commercial reality.

While we disagree with the model, as cricket fans we back the Crisafulli government in getting the deal done.

Responsibility for election comment is taken by Chris Jones, corner of Mayne Rd & Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Printed and published by NEWSQUEENSLAND (ACN 009 661 778). Contact details here

Originally published as Editorial: No politicking, just urgent action to protect our kids