Senator Matt O’Sullivan
Shadow Minister for Choice in Childcare and Early Learning
Shadow Minister for Child Protection and the Prevention of Family Violence
Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate
Senator for Western Australia
Senator Maria Kovacic
Shadow Assistant Minister for Women
Shadow Assistant Minister for Productivity and Deregulation
Senator for New South Wales
The Albanese Government’s commitment to childcare safety is under serious doubt after it was revealed that Early Childhood Education Minister Senator Jess Walsh had taken a hands-off approach to the implementation of National Child Safety Training, a critical component of the Government’s package to strengthen safety in the childcare sector.
While the online training course has been active since its launch in February this year, when asked whether the Minister had seen the contents of the two courses, Walsh confirmed, “I have not. I intend to do the training, but I haven’t done it yet.”
The Minister’s hands-off approach to implementation is particularly concerning given her previous statements from April this year, where she noted the training was not just for educators, but also mandatory for company directors and management in the sector.
“It is extraordinary that the Minister responsible for safeguarding children in early learning and care, has not taken the time to review the training her department has made compulsory for every worker in the sector,” Shadow Minister for Choice in Childcare and Early Learning, Senator O’Sullivan said.
During hearings, it was also noted that the Minister also failed to answer basic questions about the training curriculum or explain why only 10 per cent of course content directly addressed educator-perpetrated abuse, grooming, professional boundaries and mandatory reporting obligations – the core issues that prompted urgent national action.
Deputy Chair and Shadow Assistant Minister for Women, Senator Maria Kovacic, also raised concerns about the program’s integrity, citing reports from educators that the training can be rapidly clicked through, with some participants bypassing content or using AI tools to complete assessments in a fraction of the intended time.
“The fact that departmental officials had not seen any of this specific feedback, which I have personally heard from educators and which is readily accessible across online media platforms, is deeply alarming,” Senator Kovacic noted.
The Coalition Senators urged Minister Walsh to immediately review and complete the National Child Safety Training, and take responsibility for addressing its significant shortcomings.
Australian parents are deeply concerned about child safety failures across the early childhood education and care sector, and deserve a Minister who leads by example rather than delegating responsibility to officials.
[ENDS]