Page 3903 - Week 09 - Thursday, 25 August 2011
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your office, the public service or the general public, approached either you personally or your staff to allege or air a grievance about bullying, harassment or coercion in relation to operations at Bimberi or the Human Rights Commission’s inquiry into youth justice in the ACT? If yes, what action did you take in response and what were the outcomes?
MS BURCH: I stand by the response I gave to Mr Hargreaves. Any commentary that has come to me has been put to the appropriate authorities, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Coe, a supplementary question?
MR COE: Yes, Mr Speaker. Minister, did Dave Cavill approach your office to allege or air a grievance of this nature? If yes, what action did you take in response, and what was the outcome?
MS BURCH: Sorry, I missed the beginning of the question.
Mr Coe: Minister, did Dave Cavill approach your office?
MS BURCH: Dave Cavill has made contact through my office. I think he has contacted everyone in this place. The investigations have been concluded, it is my understanding, through the Human Rights Commission. That process is closed.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Smyth, a supplementary question?
MR SMYTH: Minister, what specific actions have you taken to improve the complaint handling policies and procedures, associated training of staff and Bimberi operations generally as recommended in the commission’s report?
MS BURCH: I thank Mr Smyth for his question. Look, I did not wait for the report to start implementing improvements at Bimberi and in youth justice. I think those in this place will recall that towards the latter part of last year, in November, I implemented a change management process. We recruited Danny O’Neil, who was regularly a visitor there, and provided ongoing support to staff.
There are 64 recommendations of the existing report that are already completed or underway. I just remind those here that I commenced this work in the latter part of last year.
MR HARGREAVES: Supplementary, Mr Speaker?
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Hargreaves.
MR HARGREAVES: Thanks very much. Minister, have you received any approach from the opposition detailing specific allegations in the matter which you referred to earlier on?
MS BURCH: I thank Mr Hargreaves. No. As I think I have indicated before, the approach from those opposite is to come to this place and to make allegations and ask questions. They have not visited, other than the visit of Mr Seselja and Mrs Dunne in
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