What will it take for the Palaszczuk Labor Government to put our kids before paedophiles? That’s the question former Child Protection Officer and Ninderry MP Dan Purdie is asking following the government’s dismissal of plans for a national child sex offender register.

Mr Purdie said the introduction of a public child sex offender register would give every parent an effective tool to protect their children from paedophiles living in our communities.

“It is one thing to fail on roads, to fail on trains, to fail on hospitals, to fail on debt and to fail on energy, but you cannot get much lower than failing our kids,” Mr Purdie said, recounting a speech he gave in Parliament earlier this year, in which he detailed one of many horrific cases of child abuse he worked on. 

“There are around 2,800 registered child sex offenders in Queensland like Robert John Fardon who have been convicted of molesting young children at large in our community, possibly living right next door to you and you would not know.

“Making matters worse, these offenders are being monitored by only 33 overstretched, underfunded and under-resourced officers. These officers don’t even have police cars, and rely on the honesty and integrity of upstanding, law abiding paedophiles living in our community to report any change in their circumstances.

“The system is broken, which is why the LNP will introduce a public child sex offender register if it wins the next state election.

“Labor has once again failed to protect the victims in our community by blatantly dismissing a plan that puts innocent and vulnerable children before the interests of paedophiles.”