Page 3590 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 18 August 2010
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Mr Hanson proposes through paragraph (2)(c) that the Public Interest Disclosure Act inquiry be released in full with only personal information deleted. In response to this suggestion the Greens do wonder how many times Mr Hanson has been told that allegations of bullying and harassment must be dealt with in a confidential and sensitive manner. Viewing this from an industrial relations perspective, a perspective that the Liberals obviously do not understand, it is not appropriate to release information about certain events that have taken place, even if names and positions are deleted, because individuals could still potentially be identified by colleagues, subordinates and supervisors.
The Greens support the bullying and harassment inquiry being conducted through the Public Interest Disclosure Act. We believe that the legal protection and the assurance of anonymity allow people to talk more freely with the independent expert that the government brought in to conduct this review. These protections ensure that the expert is able to get a full and fair picture of what has happened in the unit, without causing additional stress and harm to those people who were affected.
Of course, these individuals should be provided with support and assistance where they have been wronged, but that is a matter for them to pursue, as individuals, through a fair process. We have always advocated that bullying and harassment be treated with delicacy. Where individuals feel that they have been bullied or subject to inappropriate behaviour, it is imperative that they as victims, not we as politicians, have control over the processes that they have been subject to.
The Greens have to this point worked in the best interests of the workers in the obstetrics unit, and that is what we will continue to do through our proposed amendment to this motion. That is why we are calling on all members in this place to respect the Public Interest Disclosure Act. Sections 4 and 33 of the act are especially important in tonight’s debate as they outline what sorts of information can and cannot be disclosed, and the penalty units that apply to individuals if confidential information is inappropriately released.
Bullying and harassment is not an easy problem to solve. No amount of emotions in the Assembly or strongly worded press releases will ever stop bullying occurring, or will even guarantee that cases will be dealt with appropriately. It is a matter that causes great discomfort and stress to everyone involved—to the worker, to the management of their organisation, and even at times to the accused.
Balancing the needs of these various stakeholders is, and always will be, difficult under a work safety legislation framework that is better at dealing with the physical danger of a fall hazard than the mental health impacts inherent in bullying. It is a matter that requires delicacy, confidentiality and sensitivity, and we would encourage all parties to resist the urge to use accusations of bullying and inappropriate behaviour as a political football, and rather work to secure the best outcome for those affected.
Similarly, we recognise that, particularly when it comes to difficult issues like bullying and harassment, organisations find it hard to self-diagnose and treat the cause of the problem. The Greens have asked the minister’s office what is being done to
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