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After remaining quiet for a week, Child Safety Minister Amanda Camm has taken aim at opposition MPs over claims department staff had left children to sleep on the floor at government offices.
Camm said the claims were “gutter politics” from the Labor Party, adding that the current protocols for children removed in emergency scenarios had been established under the former government.
“I’m not even going to get into what has been reported – that is, that is not factual, and the Labor Party today needs to correct that record,” she said.
Unions and whistleblowers reported children removed from unsafe living conditions in the early hours of the morning were sleeping on mattresses laid on the floor of child safety service centres.
Camm said child safety operatives usually could place a child in a care arrangement, either with a third-party provider, or kinship or foster care.
“There are times, and they are rare that it occurs that no placement can be found, so the protocol that exists is that children are then carefully supervised with clean bedding in a child safety service centre,” she said.
“I’m not even going to get into what has been reported – that is not factual.”
Shadow attorney-general Meaghan Scanlon said on Saturday the protocols under the Labor government were “very different circumstances”.
Camm also denied claims the state had pulled funding from service providers, and said the state had not renewed various contracts that were due to end.
“There are some providers profiting on the back of vulnerable children who are not happy about [their contracts ending] and I’m sorry to say the buck stops now,” she said.
“There’s been many, many children that have been with providers who were not licensed … [and] using their profits to buy crypto and pay themselves millions of dollars.”
Some centres that had been cut-off were also under investigation into malpractice and, in some instances, alleged sexual abuse, Camm said.
The minister’s response came one week after the claims were first reported.
Speaking to a crowd paying upwards of $145 for a single seat, Taylor spruiked tax reform, boosting housing, the scrapping of net-zero policies and stemming “Labor’s mass migration”.
“We will put Australia first,” the Liberal leader said.
“While I am very happy to stand in front of three flags … every one of them should be an Australian flag.”
Taylor’s appearance at the conference marked the beginning of a regional tour expected to dominate the federal parliament recess, as the Liberal party wrestles with One Nation for control over battleground conservative seats.
AAP
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