Page 197 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 16 February 2011
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They are somebody who obviously is extremely dedicated to working with these young people and wants to see a very good outcome. It made it clear that they would continue to participate in the inquiry and, if they felt they needed to, provide information to the commissioner.
Again, to clear the record and make sure the information provided to the community is accurate, I remind the Assembly that the Bimberi review team operates under strict legal obligations to protect people who provide information to the review.
Additional protections under the Human Rights Commission Act include that the Bimberi review team cannot divulge information about someone else collected during the review. And I have already explained that the requirements and penalties are almost identical to those under the Inquiries Act.
Anyone who provides information honestly, and without recklessness, to the Bimberi review team is protected from civil proceedings in relation to loss, damage or injuries suffered by another person. And it is an offence for a person to threaten or cause detriment to someone who has provided information to the Bimberi review team.
Additionally, under the Children and Young People Act 2008, communication between young people detained in Bimberi and the Bimberi review team is protected. I understand that the commission and all staff on the review team have taken all reasonable steps to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of people wishing to make submissions to this inquiry, and my understanding is that there is a range of mechanisms to ensure that information is not disclosed.
I will pick up something at this point. Mrs Dunne is making out that every single staff member out at Bimberi has boycotted this inquiry, is not even participating.
Mrs Dunne: No, I did not say that. I did not say that.
MS HUNTER: You have tried to put across this idea that there are significant, large numbers of people. It is simply not true, Mrs Dunne. I know that because of the people who are contacting me.
Mr Doszpot: You are spinning, Meredith, spinning.
MS HUNTER: Mr Doszpot might want to stop interjecting and listen for a moment. Last week one of these people did contact my office. It was a horrible story that they had to tell about the terrible bullying, the terrible harassment, the terrible intimidation that they had received as a staff member out at Bimberi. This is not a good story at all. They had contacted me to get in contact with the inquiry; they were going to be in contact so that they could ensure that that experience was in the mix.
I have not received from people who have been contacting me any sense that this is only about the children and young people, that staff have been in some way rejected. What I do know is that there is a range of mechanisms for staff to be involved. I do know that staff can meet some of the investigating team off site, after hours, any time they choose, at any place they choose—
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