CHILD ABUSE REPORT LINE

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg) (14:56): My question is to the Minister for Families and Communities. What is the longest recorded time for a person who has called the Child Abuse Report Line? What is the longest time recorded?

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright—Minister for Families and Communities, Minister for Housing, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Disability) (14:56): I thank the member for Bragg for her question. I don't have that information to hand, but what I can tell the house is that it has been identified that there are on occasions lengthy times that people are waiting when they ring the Child Abuse Report Line. The average times vary between two minutes and five minutes, as I understand, but there are times during the day when peak numbers of calls come through. We have been looking at that, and we are about to commence negotiations with the Public Service Association about a change in the roster system.

Ms Chapman: Blame the union.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: That is just typical of you.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: We are going through—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: —proper workplace negotiations about changing—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: —the roster system on the Child Abuse Report Line, which is an absolutely reasonable thing to do. We think that by changing the roster system we will be able to better address those concerns. There are also a number of people who have the ability to lodge e-CARL reports. These are not just emails that come from anyone who wants to lodge a report. These are trained, mandated notifiers who know the detail, have the experience to provide information that those people on the end of the line receive.

I am told that these mandated notifiers are people from health, from the education department and from the police department. They are able to lodge those very quickly using our IT systems, but there are issues around waiting online, as I said, on average between two to five minutes. I cannot tell the member what is the longest time anyone may have waited. What I can tell people is that we have something like trebled the budget for the Department for Families and Communities for child protection in this state. When the Liberals were in government—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: —it was about $90 million per year. With the additional funding we have put in this year, it is about $300 million. We have about 38 per cent more social workers working with people, we have better supports for foster carers, we have better reunification processes, we have better accommodation for our children.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: We have shown that we have a commitment for child protection. We have shown that it is a priority.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Florey.