Page 1089 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 3 May 2022

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workplace safety and culture for many years. But every time that I listen to a nurse talking about what a hard day at work is really like—it is really hard—and it does hit home that we ask a lot of our healthcare workers—

Mr Hanson: But what did you do? You’re not there to be their friend, Minister.

MS DAVIDSON: I am talking about things that I had done before I came here, just to let you know that this is not completely new to me. I committed to follow through on that discussion early the next week with a conversation about what kind of review process we could undertake and made a call to the ANMF on Tuesday, 5 April—

Opposition members interjecting—

MS DAVIDSON: You asked me what I have done. I am telling you what I have done.

MADAM SPEAKER: Don’t respond to the interjections, Ms Davidson. That would be my advice.

MS DAVIDSON: Okay. We followed up with a phone call to continue that conversation, then an email request for a further meeting to discuss what kind of inquiry would meet the needs of the nurses and how it should function.

MS CASTLEY: Minister, why hasn’t there been an independent inquiry into Dhulwa since it opened, almost five years ago?

MS DAVIDSON: There are actually a number of reviews already underway, including an external review of incidents during February 2022 that is being undertaken by members of New South Wales Forensic Mental Health; a review by the Human Rights Commission that was initiated in February 2021, to which Canberra Health Services have provided information; and a review of the Mental Health (Secure Facilities) Act 2016, which commenced in February 2020, by a consultant engaged by the ACT Health Directorate; as well as WorkSafe ACT’s current work that began in April 2022. I am very pleased that the inquiry into Dhulwa that we have announced will review its legislative, clinical and governance frameworks to ensure that the facility is operating under best practice, in a safe environment for all workers and patients, and will be able to draw together what is happening in all of those other pieces of work.

Education—languages action plan

MR BRADDOCK: My question is to the minister for education. Minister, in December 2021 the government released a report into the implementation and outcomes of the ACT Multicultural Framework 2015-2020 Second Action Plan. This report stated that “the Education Directorate has developed a draft languages action plan for consultation”. Can you please provide an update about the plan and the time line for the consultation process?


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