Page 3183 - Week 10 - Thursday, 15 August 2013
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CIT’s history that has destroyed the health and careers of a number of CIT staff. There are serious questions that we put to Minister Barr way back—I think probably two or three years ago now. But both the minister and the then senior management failed to recognise the issues that we were raising and continued to deny that anything was amiss.
I think around 12 or 14 months ago there was an inquiry started into this. I am still not aware when it is going to be submitted to the Assembly or, indeed, wherever that report has got to be submitted to. I have recently received an email that was a copy of an email that was sent to the acting head of CIT. I will read verbatim from the email:
I have recently viewed a copy of a Message from the CIT Chief Executive dated 19th June 2013 and entitled Update on Worksafe and the complaints of 2012 and was circulated to all CIT staff.
In this message it states, “In light of the Worksafe ACT Report the Chief Executive asked the Commissioner for Public Administration to investigate individual complaints and review …
It is my understanding that following the publication of the Worksafe report on CIT and the complaints from myself and a number of other former and existing staff, the Commissioner for Public Administration instigated an investigation into the complaints received from numerous people on the actions of the CIT.
It is distressing to me as a former committed staff member whose health and career was destroyed by the actions of staff from CIT that even now it is not possible for you, as the acting head of this organisation, to portray the genesis of this investigation accurately.
I believe that the statement in the Staff notice of 19 June 2013 is an inaccurate statement bordering on an attempt to rewrite the history of this sorry saga. Whilst I accept your stated aims of commencing a process outlined in your notice to staff, if you are really committed at righting the wrongs that have been done within CIT over past years it must start with an honest statement as to the basis of the investigation that has taken place.
I note that Mr Barr is studiously trying to avoid listening to any of this. I will continue with the rest of the email:
A process can only continue as it commences; if you start with the truth, then truth will continue, but if you start with an untruth the following will also be untruthful.
In order to put this matter in the proper perspective, I believe that staff should be advised of how this investigation commenced, even if a formal request may have been required to satisfy the legality of the situation.
One thing I must say is that I do applaud the work of the former minister for education, Dr Bourke, for finally stepping in to deliver a serious warning to the executive team some year and a half ago. I am advised that the administration finally do understand what they need to do to protect staff and students from inappropriate behaviours and that is an ongoing work in progress.
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