Queensland parliament updates: MPs return to round-out first half of term

Child Safety Minister Amanda Camm has given an update on the number of kids in residential care, claiming a small win during her return to parliament after medical leave.

After earlier holding a brief media conference with Attorney-General Deb Frecklington, Camm told parliament there were now 2804 children in residential care across the state.

This was, she said, a slight reduction from the figure of 2819 in the March quarter, marking the first time this had “stabilised” in a decade.

While Camm sought to blame the former Labor government for overseeing year-on-year increases, she did not mention the number had continued to rise under her government.

She said it showed the LNP’s reforms to the sector were “starting to see benefits”, with 722 children also in kinship and foster care – nearly double that of the last years of Labor.

“The Crisafulli government is, more than ever, focused on moving more children away from residential care providers, and into family-based, loving homes,” Camm said.

Across a series of other ministerial statements to open proceedings for the day, Premier David Crisafulli and others thanked the federal government for backing away from proposed changes to the split of disaster funding.

Disaster Recovery Minister Ann Leahy said she had sent an open letter to the Albanese government last week signed by every mayor in the state, and other stakeholders.

“Last Friday, the federal government heeded the concerns that we had outlined,” Leahy said, while noting there was still other detail the state wanted to see around betterment projects.

Queensland Attorney-General Deb Frecklington has told parliament that notorious childcare paedophile Ashley Paul Griffith has been approved for extradition to NSW to face further charges in the southern state.

“I do wish to take this opportunity at the first available opportunity to inform the house that very recently, in the last 20 minutes or so, the Magistrates Court of Queensland has determined to extradite Ashley Paul Griffith to New South Wales to, I understand, around 180 charges relating to children in New South Wales,” Frecklington said.

“[This is] something that I have been working as attorney with the New South Wales Attorney-General Michael Daley on for several months, and the reason why I was so determined to support that application was because victims deserve … their time in court, and that’s what they will now get in New South Wales for that person”.

Griffith last appealed against a Queensland life sentence in June, after pleading guilty to 307 state and federal charges involving 69 girls including rape, sexual abuse, indecent treatment, and child exploitation material offences.

Welcome back to our coverage of Queensland Parliament!

MPs have returned to George Street today for the first sitting week since mid-September – and the last one of this half of the parliamentary term.

A few bills are on the agenda for debate – pending any scheduling changes – the most significant of which will establish the new Queensland Protection Commission with a raft of child safety roles (but not without criticism).

All this, of course, with a range of bubbling issues for the Crisafulli government within the portfolios of Amanda Camm, who is back this week after extended leave.

With the second half of the term, and Labor’s informal internal leadership change deadline approaching, expect plenty of flak for Opposition Leader Steven Miles, too.

Follow along with us here.