Page 3792 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 24 August 2010
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MS GALLAGHER: About the review and when it is released? No, I do not imagine so. The chief executive is the delegate under the act. As I understand it, once the review is completed, the chief executive in that role will then consider whether further action needs to be taken. That is as I understand the end of the process. As to what is made in terms of a public statement, it is over to the chief executive to determine.
MR HANSON: A supplementary, Mr Speaker?
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Hanson.
MR HANSON: Minister, how will you be assured that the appropriate response is taken by the department if you do not what the outcomes of the review will be? And what action will be taken?
MS GALLAGHER: Once it is all completed, as I said, I imagine I will get a briefing on “this is what the review found and this is the action that we are going to take” or “there is no further action required”. It is a bit hard to predict that before you actually get to the end point. I have not been briefed in any way about this public interest disclosure investigation. I do not know when it will be finished; I do not know if it has finished. I imagine, when it has concluded and if further action is taken—for example, if disciplinary action is taken—then I will be briefed along the lines of “this is the action we have taken”, not “this is the action we are considering taking” and then opening it up to me for discussion about whether I think that is appropriate or not. Those decisions will have already been taken before it comes to me. I imagine that if there are outcomes that require further action then I will be briefed on those, but only post the decision being made.
MR HANSON: Minister, how will the community be assured that the appropriate response is taken, if the outcomes of the review are to remain secret?
MS GALLAGHER: Well, I do not know if the outcomes of the review will remain secret. I cannot answer those questions, because I have not been briefed and I do not know what that review has found, if it has found anything or if it is even completed. I guess the public confidence I sought to address through the clinical services review—and all of that information has been made public and we are having a very public process around consulting on the recommendations. As to whether the public need to pore over the individual detail of the Public Interest Disclosure Act as a way of measuring the clinical performance of a system, I do not know that that is required. I imagine—
MR HANSON: An assurance that you are taking action against bullying within your department—
MS GALLAGHER: Well, it is not up to me to take action. Under the Public Interest Disclosure Act, it is the chief executive. I have no doubt that the chief executive will act in accordance with her obligations under the law and as leader of ACT Health as an organisation. I think I have seen a comment from the chief executive of ACT Health indicating that she understands there is public interest in this matter and that she will have that at the forefront of her considerations about what information can be made public, if any.
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