Page 2105 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 8 May 2012
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Amendment negatived.
Bill, as a whole, agreed to.
Bill agreed to.
Sitting suspended from 11.52 am to 2 pm.
Questions without notice
Canberra Institute of Technology—alleged bullying
MR SESELJA: Mr Speaker, my question is addressed to the minister for education. Minister, I refer to the WorkSafe ACT report on bullying at the Canberra Institute of Technology. The report says:
The seriousness of the allegations made against senior staff ... warranted investigations by impartial and suitably qualified persons. The internal ‘… exercises’ undertaken by the CIT were not investigations, did not meet the required level of independence and did not … adhere to the principles of natural justice.
Minister, given those comments, what steps have you put in place to ensure that the improvement action group, which includes the senior leadership team at CIT, is sufficiently independent and suitably qualified?
DR BOURKE: I thank the member for his question. The WorkSafe ACT report that came out on 12 April I responded to by issuing a direction to the CIT to provide me with a weekly briefing, a weekly report, on the progress in addressing the 10 points put forward in WorkSafe ACT’s report. Also, a member, a senior industrial relations and WorkSafe specialist from the Chief Minister’s Department, has been tasked with chairing the group that is going to oversight this change in CIT. That is our procedure.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Seselja, a supplementary.
MR SESELJA: Minister, what action have you taken to assure yourself, and therefore the Assembly, that none of the members of the improvement action group were the subject of any harassment complaint?
DR BOURKE: Not only is the procedure I put in place occurring; also, the office for the Commissioner for Public Administration will be working closely with the CIT to—
Mr Hanson interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Hanson.
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