Page 878 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 18 March 2015
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The Lennox report identified the growth in its service from being one of the lower performing agencies to being one of the top performing agencies here in the ACT. We are a growing city, an ageing city, and we have seen an increase in demand for ambulance services, but we have seen this government provide the investment needed to match its growth. The next area of growth is in organisational behaviour and culture, and that is the area that will be addressed today.
Mr Smyth read out at length—I do not think he missed a word—from a letter put out by a representative of the TWU. I know that a letter was delivered to him, I think, before it was even delivered to me. I find that letter offensive, and I have told the officer from TWU that I find it offensive.
Mrs Dunne: A point of order, Mr Assistant Speaker.
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Dr Bourke): A point of order.
Mrs Dunne: I only have one thing to say: standing order 42.
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Please carry on, Ms Burch.
MS BURCH: Mr Assistant Speaker, I have let the two officials from the TWU know, in no uncertain terms, that I find that letter offensive, wrong and so off the mark that it would defy credibility to read it out in this place.
The previous minister commissioned a review. A consultant company, O2C, was given the task to do that. I saw a final draft of that report in the back half of February—less than a month ago. The advice that accompanied it was that there were problems with making the report public because of reputational or professional damage—personal concerns regarding individuals that could be identified in that report. What would the opposition have me do? Ignore advice from the directorate and legal advice that something may cause somebody professional damage or personal damage? What would they say on that side of the chamber if I were to do that? I instructed the directorate to go to the findings and to go to the recommendations. At the end of the day, that is at the heart of this.
At 6 pm, in accordance with standing order 34, the debate was interrupted. The motion for the adjournment of the Assembly having been put and negatived, the debate was resumed.
MS BURCH: For the past couple of weeks the directorate has been working on how to lift the key findings and recommendations from the O2C report. At the end of the day, that is how you will effect change—recognise the findings, accept the findings, recognise the recommendations and put action in place to address those recommendations. That is what this does. The blueprint for change clearly sets out—and I have assured the Transport Workers Union and the workforce of ACTAS—that the core of the findings remains the same and the recommendations that were in the O2C report sit in this blueprint for change.
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