Child Protection

The Hon. S.L. GAME (15:19): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, representing the Minister for Child Protection, about the death of children living in state care.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.L. GAME: An article in today's Advertiser revealed that 11 children living in state care or who had red flags raised about their safety died last financial year. The report says these children were subject to calls to the Child Abuse Report Line; however, the number of calls made regarding each child was not revealed. Additionally excluded were details about their age, the cause of their death, the reason they were reported to authorities, how many of them had been taken into care before their death, and how many of them were still living at home. My questions to the minister representing the Minister for Child Protection are:

1. What is the real reason this information has been excluded?

2. Is it the fear that the department will be identified as failing to do its job?

3. Will Minister Hildyard put pressure on the department to ensure the release of these details, including the age of these children and the number of CARL reports made about these children, so that we understand full transparency and accountability can be pursued?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:20): I thank the honourable member for her question. The tragedies that we have heard about through media reports I am sure have touched all of us. No-one wants to see any child in a situation where their circumstances are so difficult. I am happy to refer the question to the minister in the other place and to bring back a response.