Amanda Stoker has been appointed Queensland's Minister for Families, Seniors and Disability Services and Minister for Child Safety and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence. She replaces Amanda Camm, who stepped down from the role due to illness. Stoker previously worked at the private bar in commercial, administrative and corporate crime law, and served as an Australian senator. Her tasks include refining domestic and family violence laws, rolling out a perpetrator electronic monitoring pilot and expanding support for victims. Premier David Crisafulli said she will build on reforms begun by Camm.
An investigation by Four Corners has found that Little Zak's has the highest share of centres subject to enforcement action among Australia's 26 largest long daycare operators. Regulators recorded almost 600 confirmed breaches at its centres between 2020 and September 2025. Parents at its Shellharbour centre describe serious injuries and concerns about supervision. Little Zak's says its focus is on quality and safety. Federal Early Childhood Education Minister Jess Walsh says new reforms are on track, though some large operators have not been included in a funding crackdown.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has appointed Amanda Stoker as the state's new child safety and domestic violence minister, replacing Amanda Camm, who is stepping down. Stoker will also take on the families, seniors and disability services portfolios. Camm cited the ongoing stresses of the role and her recovery from surgery in her decision, and said she had faced harassment and threats. Stoker has publicly expressed anti-abortion and anti-LGBT+ views, which has drawn criticism from Opposition Leader Steven Miles. Stoker said the role was difficult but that she came to parliament to do hard things.
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Indigenous translators and illustrators in the Northern Territory have worked with the Australian Federal Police to create two picture books on online child safety. The books are written in Western Arrarnta and Old Tiwi. Translator Maxine Malbunka says children in her community have encountered unsafe people online. The Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation received more than 100,000 reports of online child sexual exploitation in the past financial year, a 21 per cent rise. Digital versions of the books are available on the centre's website.
A childcare worker, Edwina Ling, has been sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to 80 counts of common assault and two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm. The assaults took place at a childcare centre in Injinoo, on Cape York, over three days in late August and early September 2024. CCTV footage captured the attacks, and one 13-month-old boy was assaulted 55 times. The centre operated outside the National Quality Framework. Parents want accountability to extend to the organisation that ran the centre and to regulators.
Amanda Stoker has been appointed Queensland's Minister for Domestic and Family Violence and Child Safety, replacing Amanda Camm. Stoker acknowledged the challenges ahead in a troubled ministry, citing the vulnerability of those affected. She previously served as a federal senator and won the state seat of Oodgeroo in 2022. Camm resigned citing health concerns and safety fears. Recent data showed a 60% increase in child deaths known to safety authorities, and a $183 million IT system rollout failed, leaving officers without vital information.
Oodgeroo MP Amanda Stoker has been appointed Queensland's new child safety and domestic and family violence minister. She replaces Amanda Camm, who stepped down from the portfolio this week, saying it was her decision. Stoker will also take on the families, seniors and disability services portfolios. The change is the first to the government's frontbench since David Crisafulli came to power in 2024. Camm had returned from six weeks of sick leave a fortnight earlier, and said her recovery was ongoing.
An inquest in Brisbane is examining why government agencies judged six-year-old Elizabeth Struhs safe before her death in January 2022. Her doctors had warned that her mother's extreme religious beliefs could sabotage her diabetes treatment, but child safety officers did not act on those warnings. A 2019 intervention ended after 17 weeks, and her father later stopped her insulin. Her parents and 14 church members were convicted in relation to her death. Coroner Ainslie Kirkegaard will hand down her findings next year.
Queensland minister Amanda Camm has stepped down as minister for domestic and family violence and child safety. She cited health concerns and threats against her, and said the decision was hers alone. Premier David Crisafulli stood beside her and said an announcement on her replacement would come soon. Camm will remain the MP for Whitsunday but would not commit to contesting the seat at the next election. The opposition has repeatedly called for her to be sacked, and says the government has failed on child safety.
Queensland minister Amanda Camm has resigned from cabinet, saying her recovery from health problems is ongoing. She said she had faced harassment, threats, bullying and personal vilification over the past year. Camm had been under pressure over child safety and domestic and family violence prevention, including budget cuts and reform delays. Premier David Crisafulli said she had not been removed over her performance. A replacement is expected to be announced later on Friday.
Queensland MP Amanda Camm is set to resign as minister, with Premier David Crisafulli due to address media on Friday morning. Ms Camm has faced months of scrutiny over her handling of the domestic and family violence portfolio, as well as child safety failures. These include a rise in the number of children known to child safety who died, and a bungled $183 million IT system rollout. Her resignation will trigger the first reshuffle of the Crisafulli government. The opposition has repeatedly called for her to be sacked.
Queensland MP Amanda Camm is set to resign as minister, with Premier David Crisafulli due to address media on Friday morning. Ms Camm has faced months of scrutiny over her handling of the domestic and family violence portfolio, as well as child safety failures. These include a rise in the number of children known to child safety who died, and a bungled $183 million IT system rollout. Her resignation will trigger the first reshuffle of the Crisafulli government. The opposition has repeatedly called for her to be sacked.
Queensland MP Amanda Camm has announced she will step down as the state's child safety and domestic and family violence minister. Ms Camm said her recovery from major surgery is ongoing and that the role's stresses and workload would not help it. She said she stands by her record, though she did not commit to contesting her seat at the next election. Premier David Crisafulli has not yet named a successor. Opposition leader Steven Miles said the replacement's choice would show whether the portfolio is a priority for the government.
Meta has said it will defend itself vigorously against a class action in Australia's Federal Court. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of eight applicants, alleges that addictive design features on Facebook and Instagram harm children and teenagers. It seeks compensation for users exposed to harmful content or who developed a social media addiction. The Federal Court in Sydney has issued a suppression order over details of the claim and the applicants' identities. Separately, a New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay US$25 billion for misleading consumers, a ruling the company says it will appeal.
Basketball Australia's national deal with Israeli sports technology company Pixellot is facing growing scrutiny. A petition hosted by GetUp and organised by grassroots group Not All Clubs has gathered 10,000 signatures and calls for the rollout to stop. Campaigners say children as young as six should not be filmed without meaningful consent. Four people familiar with the tender say rival Australian-New Zealand company Glory League had been set to win before a request-for-proposal process was introduced. Basketball Australia says Pixellot was chosen through a competitive process, but declined to answer questions about the decision.
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Child safety workers failed to recognise the coercive control exerted by Elizabeth Struhs's mother and a fringe church group over her father, an inquest has heard. A child safety worker told the court that staff were too narrowly focused on Elizabeth's diabetes management. She said the case plan identified only one form of abuse, when there were two, and that staff did not flag the serious risk posed by her mother's beliefs about medical treatment. Elizabeth died in 2022 after her father stopped giving her insulin. Her parents were each sentenced to 14 years for manslaughter.
Two children escaped from the Majura Early Childhood Centre in Dickson last Monday during rest time, by turning over play equipment and climbing a fence. Police were alerted by members of the public and the children were reunited with their parents about 2:30pm. The mother of one boy, Naomi Brooks, said she was frustrated by the lack of answers from the centre's provider, Northside Community Services. Northside has apologised, appointed an ex-AFP investigator and increased staffing, and says the investigation is ongoing. Ms Brooks has applied to withdraw her children from the centre.
Australia's online safety regulator has warned that AI-powered "nudify" apps are being used to create sexual images of children. Julie Inman Grant told a parliamentary inquiry in Sydney that these apps are downloaded by Australians more than 200,000 times a month. Her office has taken legal enforcement action against eight such apps and services. She warned that organised crime groups are using voice and face cloning in sextortion schemes targeting young Australian boys and men. She called for stronger regulation and greater powers for regulators, saying AI companies should not mark their own homework.
Victoria's teaching regulator conducted surprise inspections at Fitzroy Community School's two Melbourne campuses, examining teacher registrations and student supervision. The Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) exercised rare powers to search premises and seize documents. This follows ABC reports of historical abuse allegations and recent staff suspensions. The school's enrolment has reportedly declined significantly. The federal education department is monitoring the situation, while the state government has been approached for comment.
A senior Queensland police officer has told an inquest that no protocol existed in 2019 for the Queensland Police Service and the Department of Child Safety to share information about criminal charges. The officer was questioned at the Coroners Court about communications before the death of eight-year-old Elizabeth Struhs in Toowoomba in 2022. Her father, Jason Struhs, stopped giving her insulin for type 1 diabetes. Her mother, Kerrie Struhs, had earlier served a jail sentence for child neglect. The inquest continues.
