Education Minister Anne Tolley has defended proposed law changes that remove requirement for carers at short-term childcare facilities to undergo police checks.
The changes are contained in the Education Amendment Bill, which passed its first reading under urgency last week.
The Labour Party on Tuesday questioned Ms Tolley in Parliament about the changes which it says leaves children vulnerable to sex offenders.
Ms Tolley says it is not appropriate for the requirement to be contained in the bill because limited-attendance crèches - such as those at gyms - and baby-sitting services are not providers of early-childhood education.
She says parents have responsibility to leave their children in a safe environment.
