Proposed vetting bill - We need to get it right

Significant shortcomings in the proposed new law on the vetting of people working with children have been identified by children’s charities.

Under the draft bill that will establish a statutory National Vetting Bureau, groups of people who spend a substantial amount of time in direct contact or close proximity to children will legally be able to avoid having their credentials and character checked.

They include school caretakers, cooks and bus drivers — the very people children tend to know and trust as a familiar part of their everyday environment.