Page 5897 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 8 December 2010
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There have been numerous documented incidents of self-harm by residents, including an attempted suicide, assaults by staff on residents, violence shown by residents against staff, security breaches involving misuse of medication and escapes. There are staff who have been injured either physically or psychologically but who have not received adequate follow-up treatment or support—
MR SPEAKER: Mrs Dunne, one moment. Order, members! There is a large amount of noise in the chamber.
MRS DUNNE: It is like talking on Pitt Street.
MR SPEAKER: If we could have some quiet for Mrs Dunne, please, I would appreciate it.
MRS DUNNE: Thank you, Mr Speaker. There are staff who have taken stress leave or who are on other forms of extended leave. We are aware of a management and workplace culture in which staff are not valued, encouraged or respected. We have heard stories of bullying and racist behaviour from management. We are aware of an environment in which the residents are not treated with dignity.
But it does not end here, Mr Speaker. We are also aware of the underutilisation of the education facilities. Some of them, Mr Speaker, have not been used at all. Now we have heard about reduced in-class security for teachers in the education programs, leaving those teachers fearing for their safety and leaving students themselves exposed to personal safety risks.
Out of concern for the effect of that weight of evidence and the very real potential for an escalation in the seriousness of some of these issues, my colleague Alistair Coe and I, on 19 November, wrote a joint letter of concern to the Minister for Children and Young People. In response, and to her credit, the minister visited Bimberi to attend a meeting of staff, teachers, union delegates and others to hear the concerns of workers.
But the reports that came back to me from people who attended the meeting have resulted in this motion today. I believe that the minister’s performance at that meeting, according to the reports, was lacking in professionalism and did not address the real concerns that were brought to her by the staff.
It was reported to me that the minister claimed her attendance at Bimberi that day was only “to protect her backside”. It was reported to me that the minister covered her ears and said, “La, la, la, la,” so that she could not hear the gravity of the situation being told to her by those workers. It was reported to me that the minister called Bimberi residents variously “little buggers”, “silly little buggers” and “naughty little buggers”. It has been reported to me that the minister told those present that she had no idea what was going on at Bimberi.
Mr Speaker, that sets the scene for this proposed inquiry under the Inquiries Act. It is a sad scene and I am sure that all members here would agree. But you do not have to take my word for it. Listen to the stories that have been told to me by present and former staff. I am going to quote now from an email that was sent not just to me but to
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