Page 3167 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 24 September 2014
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A review of organisational culture is in progress. This is not a negative process. It is an indication of an organisation that has matured significantly to robustly discuss its features, issues and challenges. It is the sign of an organisation that is open, that is committed to moving forward and planning how to change as it has changed in response to significant growth in demand. It provides an opportunity for us to understand how culture operates in a growing and diverse service, and the review will help future-proof the organisation. It is a challenging process but it is a positive process, and one that I strongly support.
Let me turn to claims about failures to investigate bullying in the ACT Ambulance Service. The government did not fail to have bullying incidents investigated. It is an untrue claim by Mr Smyth. For the sake of clarification, the matter that Mr Smyth refers to was reviewed under the provisions of the ACTAS enterprise agreement.
My directorate has advised that in the last three years ACT WorkSafe has received just one–that is right, just one—complaint of alleged bullying in relation to the ACT Ambulance Service. WorkSafe investigated this complaint, and my directorate was formally advised of it in November last year. The WorkSafe investigation into that complaint found that reasonably practical steps had been taken by JACS and ACTAS to ensure the relevant policies and procedures were in place. However, WorkSafe found that the process undertaken by the Ambulance Service in considering the complaint was not of an equivalent or higher standard as that provided for in the work health and safety code of practice. As a result, an improvement notice was issued.
My directorate subsequently engaged an independent investigator to comply with the recommendations made by WorkSafe. An independent review has now been completed, and the conclusion was that no bullying was found to have occurred. No bullying was found to have occurred. The improvement notice is no longer in force.
Mr Smyth also claims that I have allowed bullying in ACTAS which has led to a complaint lodged with the Fair Work Ombudsman. I can advise that my directorate has no record of complaints of bullying being made to the Fair Work Ombudsman—another false claim on the part of Mr Smyth.
Mr Smyth talks about failure to upgrade the ACT Ambulance Service’s VACIS electronic case management system. Mr Smyth really should pay attention to what I tell him in question time because, contrary to his claims in this motion, the VACIS electronic case management system that is used by the ACT Ambulance Service is the latest available version. I do not know how many times I have to tell Mr Smyth this, but it is still in his motion today. Even in his motion today he continues to assert that it is not the latest version. It is the latest version. I can advise Mr Smyth that version 2.3.1 is the newest software version available and that software version 3 of VACIS is not used by any ambulance jurisdiction in Australia because it still remains under development and is not due for pilot deployment until February 2015. Mr Smyth once again makes claims that he clearly should know are not true.
Mr Smyth also makes claims about the ACT Fire & Rescue Service. For the purposes of time I will deal quickly with only a couple of other matters. I previously advised
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