Page 1552 - Week 06 - Thursday, 2 July 2020
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
Initially, it is possible that some individuals who are currently registered under the ACT working with vulnerable people scheme may be deregistered, refused registration or have conditions imposed on their registration due to the introduction of disqualifying offences.
This, of course, engages the human right to work. Obviously, I support the need to protect the right to work, particularly for people who have been engaged with the criminal justice system. But there are certain crimes that, when committed, clearly pose a danger in certain occupations, and the overriding goal here has to be to provide protections for children and vulnerable people.
I support the minister’s explanation and response to the scrutiny committee about the limitations on the right to work for certain individuals in this instance. I note that the amendments made to the working with vulnerable people act in 2019, which included introducing disqualifying offences for NDIS workers, including continuous monitoring for background screening and enabling interjurisdictional information sharing, as well as a number of recommendations from the 2017 Legislative Review of the Working With Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011, will come into effect this November.
I only hope that it does not get further delayed due to any revised approaches during the COVID pandemic, which allowed for the automatic extension of working with vulnerable people registrations that were due to be renewed. I appreciate that there needs to be some time to set up the appropriate systems with the right checks and balances so that new systems can be administered effectively, and to allow for a nationally consistent approach, but I do have to express some dismay that this legislation will not come into effect until February 2021, which, of course, is long after I will have gone from this place. At least, however, we know that stronger protections are coming, and for that I am thankful.
I take this opportunity to mention the redress scheme and the fact that various institutions have now been publicly identified as failing to sign up to it. Should any of these exist in the ACT, I urge the government—this one and/or the next one—to act upon their failure and to assist the community and those affected by abuse to hold them to account. This may possibly be by way of financial sanctions or changes to the organisation’s charitable status.
At any rate, I have been pleased to be part of the Ninth Assembly, which has made considerable headway on some of society’s most wicked problems in relation to the abuse of children and vulnerable people. I am grateful that the Assembly has contributed to this over a period of time, including today, and I support the bill.
MS ORR (Yerrabi—Minister for Community Services and Facilities, Minister for Disability, Minister for Employment and Workplace Safety and Minister for Government Services and Procurement) (5.24), in reply: I rise to speak in support of the Working With Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Amendment Bill 2020 and table a revised explanatory statement. The Assembly is aware that the working with vulnerable people scheme is an important part of the ACT’s system for keeping safe children and vulnerable people in our community. The working with vulnerable
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video