Page 1175 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 2 April 2019
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Supplementary answer to question without notice
National disability insurance scheme—mental health
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I am not sure if I was specifically asked this, but I can inform the Assembly that, as at the Disability Reform Council’s quarterly report of 31 December 2018, 842 Canberrans identify their primary support needs within the NDIS as relating to psychosocial disability, and are benefiting from the NDIS, and this equates to 13 per cent of the total approved participants in the scheme in the ACT.
Centenary Hospital for Women and Children—unauthorised examinations
Statement by member
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (3.02): I seek leave to make a brief statement in relation to an unauthorised vaginal examination which was discussed in question time.
Leave granted.
MRS DUNNE: Thank you, members; I thank you for leave. I want to place on the record the concern of the Canberra Liberals about this claim. This claim was brought to light initially in a submission to the health committee; it was reported by the Canberra Times accurately, with respect to the published submission; and it was subsequently brought to my attention, and that of the minister and other members of this place, over the weekend.
What I saw from the email trail that the minister received over the weekend was that there was a complaint. It is unclear who made that complaint, but it is certain that there was a complaint. It seems to me that what has happened as a result of this complaint is tantamount to bullying. If we give the person who made the complaint the benefit of the doubt, we should be working to support that person who made the complaint about an unauthorised vaginal examination. What we saw from the minister and from Health authorities was an attempt to belittle the complaint and to say that it did not happen.
It is clear that the complaint was made. We do not know who made that complaint and when the complained-about event took place, but I think it is incumbent upon the minister and the agency to try to get to the bottom of it and find out who the complainant is, and what can be done to assist that person. It is equally important to ensure that the person who conducted this examination without consent is informed of and understands that that is a serious problem, and that steps are taken to ensure that that person does not do it again, and that other people do not do it again.
The Canberra Liberals are very concerned about the wellbeing of the person who made this complaint. We are also very concerned about the wellbeing of, essentially, the whistleblower who brought this to the health committee’s attention, to the health minister’s attention and to my attention over the weekend. I will be watching this matter very closely on behalf of the Canberra Liberals, to ensure that no-one is bullied or intimidated as a result of making this disclosure.
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