Comprehensive Blue Card reform failure

Palaszczuk Labor Government fails to implement 53 critical recommendations
6 years after damning report

The Palaszczuk Labor Government has failed to comprehensively implement a raft of critical changes to Queensland’s Blue Card system, recommended after the tragic death of Tiahleigh Palmer in 2017.

The proposed changes promised to strengthen and streamline Queensland’s Blue Card system which is designed to keep children safe.

Six years after a damning report into the Blue Card system, the LNP Opposition has revealed the Palaszczuk Government has implemented just 28 of the 81 critical recommendations.

In 2017 the Queensland Family and Child Commission recommended “extensive changes to legislation” with 81 specific actions to strengthen Blue Cards, including:

• Improving information sharing between all areas of government.
• Expanding the scope of Blue Card applicability to include all services targeting children.
• Increasing the range of information used for Blue Card assessments.
• Expanding the range of offences that would disqualify individuals from holding a Blue Card.
• The failures to implement the majority of critical changes falls directly at the feet of former Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman and current and former Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath.

The revelations of the Palaszczuk Government’s failure to implement changes come after shocking allegations a childcare worker assaulted Queensland children entrusted to his care.

Alarmingly, today in Budget Estimates, the Minister charged with regulating childcare centres has turned her back on all responsibility.

Shadow Attorney General Tim Nicholls said it was unacceptable the Palaszczuk Labor Government had failed to implement the recommended changes after six years.

“We have had three Attorneys-General since these recommendations were made and Minister D’Ath, Minister Fentiman and reheated Minister D’ath, all overseen by the Premier, have failed to fix the Blue Card system,” Mr Nicholls said.

“In the chaos and crisis of the Palaszczuk Labor Government, they’ve failed to strengthen the Blue Card system and Queensland parents will be shocked to hear the promised changes have not been followed through after all this time.

“This is another instance of the Palaszczuk Government making announcements and failing to follow-through.

“Queenslanders will be shocked to hear the Minister responsible for early childhood education and the safety of Queensland children in childcare centres, has wiped her hands and claimed it isn’t her job.

“Queenslanders deserve to know the Government has done everything they can to keep children safe when they entrust them to childcare centres and Blue Card holders.

“We cannot allow more Queensland children to fall victim to the chaos and crisis of the Palaszczuk Labor Government which has failed to deliver on their promises.”