Child Protection

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (15:27): My question is to the Premier. Why does the Premier continue to refer to the removal of 20,000 children from their parents, when the DECD 2015 annual report reports that 1,908 children were the subject of finalised substantive investigations?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (15:27): Well, you see, I don't refer to the removal of 20,000 children.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Well, just so that those understand the remarks that I was making, it was the very point that I was seeking to make earlier, that we have a child protection system which is overwhelmed with notifications, and it's crucial that—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: That's right. We can't.

Mr Marshall: So where have you come up with that figure?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Because there were 20,000 Child Abuse Report Line notifications up to this point this year, and I was seeking to make—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: See, this is the problem. If those opposite—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I think those opposite are just demonstrating that they have nothing to offer in relation to this debate in relation to child protection. Because this is the real challenge of child protection—not just sitting back and reading The Advertiser and then deciding that they need to ask for me to resign. It's actually the hard policy work which requires dealing with probably one of the most complex areas of public policy that faces any government anywhere in the world, and we have applied ourselves assiduously to it. Have we failed in cases? Yes. Have we protected many children? Absolutely, yes, and we are determined to have a first-class child protection system.