Blue Card red flags

All excuses and no answers on Blue Card system overhaul

The Palaszczuk Labor Government can’t explain why 53 of 81 recommendations to overhaul Queensland’s Blue Card system haven’t been implemented after six long years.

Under questioning from the LNP in Budget Estimates today, the Attorney-General could not explain why the implementation was on a go-slow and would not release a copy of the Detailed Implementation Plan with timeframes for each recommendation.

Some of the shocking revelations from Budget Estimates include:

• After six years, just one-third of recommendations from the QFCC report are complete and there is no timeline to complete the remaining recommendations.
• A full break-down of which recommendations have been completed and the associated actions, has not been released.
• Separate Royal Commission recommendations for Child Safe Standards have not been implemented in Queensland.

This failure is despite multiple communiques and reminders from the Queensland Family and Child Commissioner about the lack of progress in implementing recommendations.

Shadow Attorney-General Tim Nicholls said in the chaos and crisis of the Palaszczuk Government, Ministers were too busy passing the buck rather than taking responsibility.

“It’s clear the Minister is unwilling to take accountability or responsibility for implementing these critical changes to the system designed to keep children safe,” Mr Nicholls said.

“The Palaszczuk Government’s failures raise red flags for the Blue Card system.

“After six years, they couldn’t even reveal when they would complete each of the 81 recommendations.

“Queenslanders deserve to know why this is not a priority for the Palaszczuk Labor Government.

“Parents and childcare workers trusted this Government to fix the failings of this system and instead they’ve been fundamentally failed. 

“Parents want to know their children will be safe when they’re entrusted to care and childcare educators want to know the system will catch bad eggs.

“After this morning, neither parents nor educators can be confident about the integrity of the Blue Card system in Queensland.

“Once again, the Palaszczuk Government is more focused on the announcement than delivering and now they’re too busy trying to cover-up their failures than fix them.

“Queenslanders deserve better and won’t accept this disgraceful effort after six years.”