Queensland has seen a significant increase in people being barred from working with children, with 6,403 individuals denied blue card checks last financial year, nearly double the previous year's figure of 3,712. This rise comes alongside an expansion of roles requiring blue cards and an overall system monitoring over 1.4 million people. While the Department of Justice sees this as evidence of a robust protection system, academics like University of Queensland law professor Tamara Walsh warn that increased refusals do not necessarily equate to greater child safety, citing concerns about discretionary decision-making processes and potential wrongful denials.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In Queensland, 6,403 individuals were denied working with children checks under the blue card system in the last financial year, nearly doubling from 3,712 in the previous year. The Department of Justice claims this indicates a robust child protection system, but academics warn that higher refusal rates do not necessarily correlate to increased safety for kids. Introduced 25 years ago, the blue card system now monitors over 1.4 million people, an increase of about 100,000 from the previous year. Professor Walsh raises concerns that past minor infractions could prevent someone from working in youth-related fields indefinitely, potentially impacting those seeking to rehabilitate and contribute positively to society.
Written for “Child Protection Barriers Queensland” on 2026-10-08,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
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Leaning score withheld for article 66667: attributed speech only · logged 2026-10-08
In short:
The amount of people being barred from working with children in Queensland has nearly doubled in the last financial year.
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amount → bar → year
Alongside that, more than 1.4 million people are currently monitored through the blue card system.
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people → monitor → system
The Department of Justice says these figures are a sign of a strong system.
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figures → say → system
Thousands more people are being barred from working with children in Queensland, according to reporting from the state government.
uncertain
people → bar → government
Annual reporting from Queensland's Department of Justice showed in the last financial year, 6,403 people were denied working with children checks under Queensland's blue card system.
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people → show → system
It's nearly double the amount previously refused, with 3,712 people prevented from holding the passes in the 2024-2025 financial year.
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people → refuse → year
A spokesperson for the Department of Justice said it was the sign of a strong system.
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it → say → system
"Queensland has one of Australia's strongest working with children screening systems, with robust safeguards in place to protect children and young people," they said.
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they → have → children
Increased refusals don't mean safer kids, academics warn
Twenty-five years since it was introduced, more than 1.4 million people are monitored through the blue card system, a figure up by about 100,000 people more than last year.
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people → mean → year
The government expanded the scope of roles requiring blue cards in December, following a landmark report into failings in the child safety sector.
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government → expand → sector
The report, prompted by the serial offending of paedophile, Ashley Paul Griffith, found the blue card system had functioned as intended but offered no meaningful protection to children.
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system → prompt → children
University of Queensland law professor Tamara Walsh said a higher number of blue card refusals did not mean a more protective system.
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number → say → system
"A lot of discretion is given to decision makers when they're deciding whether to give someone a blue card or not," she said.
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she → give → card
Professor Walsh said someone charged with drug possession when they were young could be prevented from working in the youth justice space in the future, for example.
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they → say → example
"We're actually preventing people from getting blue cards who we would want to have blue cards, so the system is not being strengthened in the ways in which we'd all hope.
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we → prevent → which
"What we're doing is capturing a whole lot of people who don't pose a protective risk to children and we're missing people who do.
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who → do → people
The department had a 98 per cent clearance rate at the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal last year, despite a 25 per cent increase in lodgements, the government report said.
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report → have → lodgements
Further changes on the way
In August, Queensland's Attorney-General and Justice Minister Deb Frecklington introduced legislation for a new Child Protection Commission.
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Frecklington → introduce → Commission
The centralised commission would coordinate agencies and departments — including blue card services — to share intelligence and investigate concerning behaviour that may not meet the threshold for police investigation.
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that → coordinate → investigation
Queensland Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Integrity Deb Frecklington said the system was making kids safer.
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kids → say → Justice
"The safety of children remains the paramount consideration in Queensland's Blue Card system," she said.
"
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she → remain → system
The Crisafulli Government will continue to support a framework that is both rigorous and fair."
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that → continue → framework
The Aporia