Six weeks after the budget, parliament will hear what child sexual exploitation is costing Australia

Budget week is over, and Parliament is busy deciding what comes next. Tomorrow, ICMEC Australia will brief MPs and Senators at Parliament House on what that next chapter must include – a coordinated, whole-of-system response to online child sexual exploitation, presented by the leaders who see the consequences up close every day. 

ICMEC Australia has convened this briefing because child exploitation places significant financial and economic burdens across health, justice, law enforcement, and lost productivity – on top of the significant human impact suffered by the 1 in 4 Australians who are victims of child sexual abuse.   

The message is clear: we need significant investment in prevention. Every dollar spent across offender deterrence programs and early intervention services reduces future spending across the whole system. 

And when law enforcement, industry, frontline services, youth advocacy and research arrive at parliament with the same message, it makes the case for action in a way that no single organisation can. 

Parliamentary briefing: The Cost Australia Can't Afford  

Date: Thursday 25 June 2026,  

Time: 12:30pm – 2:00pm 
Location: Dame Enid Lyons Alcove, Parliament House, Canberra 

Quote attributable to Dannielle Kelly, Head of Government Affairs at ICMEC Australia 

“Online child sexual exploitation touches every part of the system children move through – and the response it requires is no different. What this briefing puts in front of parliament is not a single sector's ask. It is the collective view of the people closest to this problem, with tangible solutions for how to keep children safer.” 

Spokespeople available for interview:  

• Colm Gannon – Chief Executive Officer, ICMEC Australia 

• Dannielle Kelly – Head of Government Affairs and Law Enforcement Outreach, ICMEC Australia 

• Satara Uthayakumaran – Youth Advocate & 2025 Youth Rep to the United Nations 

Experts from law enforcement, child protection not-for-profits, academia, and the tech industry will speak on the panel but are not available for interview.