Justice (Miscellaneous Reporting Procedures) Bill 2025 (No. 10)
- genevievecooley
- May 29
- 2 min read
Thursday 29 May 2025
[11.56 a.m.]
Ms ARMITAGE (Launceston) - Mr President, I rise only to make a few brief remarks in support of this bill. I do not believe there is any need to re-prosecute the content and context of the commission of inquiry, but one thing that we do know is that fully implementing it is an ongoing process, as well as protection of children and young people from harm. There will never be a time when we can no longer be vigilant, and our laws will need to reflect these changing needs in perpetuity.
To this end, this bill seeks to amend the Registration to Work with Vulnerable People Act 2013 to clarify that, in addition to the duty to report in certain circumstances, any person can notify reportable behaviour to the registrar of the Registration to Work with Vulnerable People scheme. As the Acting Leader mentioned, this scheme establishes a screening and monitoring system for people who work with vulnerable people.
As we know, it is simply a fact of life that people need to be monitored when it comes to protecting children and young, vulnerable people. Anything which expands and enhances the ability to monitor, report and protect children and young and vulnerable people, not necessarily young, needs to be considered, and in all likelihood, legislated and implemented. The bill, to my mind, achieves this. I understand that reporting to the registrar already can and does occur, but there is no specific legislative provision for receiving this information. I think this is an important step forward; we should leave no stone unturned, and no ambiguity or uncertainty, when it comes to reporting mechanisms for protecting children and young people and prosecuting those who do them harm.
Ensuring that there is better interaction between all bodies to whom people can report reportable behaviour will further strengthen our ability to protect children. I thank the honourable Acting Leader for bringing this bill forward and indicate my support.
