The Cook Government will this week introduce landmark legislation to overhaul Western Australia's Working With Children Check (WWC) system, finally aligning the state with a national agreement designed to stop dangerous individuals from moving between jurisdictions.
Closing a Critical Loophole
Child Protection Minister Jessica Stojkovski is expected to present the amendments to the State's Act in Parliament on Wednesday, December 3, 2025. The core reform establishes a 'banned in one, banned in all' principle, meaning anyone denied or stripped of a WWC clearance in any Australian state or territory will be automatically barred from holding one in WA.
This national approach was forged in response to a horrific case of abuse in childcare, where it was revealed a Victorian worker charged with 70 offences had been employed across up to 20 centres. All states and territories pledged to close this loophole at the Standing Council of Attorneys-General on November 14.
"This approach means anyone found to present an unacceptable risk to children will be barred from undertaking child-related work in any State or Territory in Australia. Banned in one, banned in all," Ms Stojkovski said.
WA Among the Last to Implement National Reforms
The urgency of WA's action was highlighted during a Senate Estimates hearing on Monday, where federal officials confirmed the state is lagging. Deputy secretary Tamsyn Harvey stated that while most jurisdictions have already introduced or passed the necessary laws, Western Australia and the ACT are the only two yet to do so. The Northern Territory introduced its legislation just last week.
Attorney-General's departmental secretary Katherine Jones noted that both WA and the ACT had been "engaging positively" with the process and that there was still an expectation they would meet the year-end commitment. "We have not given up hope or expectation that Western Australian and the ACT will introduce legislation this year," Ms Jones said.
The proposed Bill also creates a new offence targeting employers who knowingly ignore negative interstate WWC notices raised against an employee. The long-term goal, according to officials, is a fully integrated, national consistent, and real-time checking system across all jurisdictions.
Broader Childcare Reforms and Confusion
The push for stronger Working With Children Checks comes amid wider federal reforms in the early childhood sector. On Monday, Early Childhood Education Minister Jess Walsh announced the final component of a 15 per cent pay rise for childcare workers had taken effect, aimed at retaining educators and improving stability for families.
However, Minister Walsh appeared confused during an ABC radio interview about the existing status of national checks, initially claiming a consistent approach was already in place before being corrected. She also declined to commit to an independent inquiry into childcare standards, as recommended by the Productivity Commission, instead emphasising the government's existing reform package.
"Every child deserves to be safe, and parents deserve to know that their children are safe," Ms Walsh stated, defending the government's actions as the biggest package of reforms to the system in 15 years.
The introduction of WA's legislation this week marks a critical step in creating a seamless national safety net, ensuring individuals deemed a risk to children cannot simply cross a border to continue working with vulnerable young people.
