Page 1026 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 30 March 2011
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Opposition members interjecting—
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Order! Members have their chance.
MR CORBELL: that the department and its officers have acted appropriately, and the minister has outlined very clearly the circumstances that lead the government to have that confidence. First of all, it is extremely clear that at no time has the minister or her chief executive at any time suggested anything other than to say that staff should fully participate and should give whatever information they believe they have available to them to the inquiry to assist the inquiry in its investigation. There have been repeated all—
Mr Smyth: Spin. It is just spin.
MR CORBELL: No, it is not spin.
Mr Smyth: Yes, it is spin—spin.
MR CORBELL: It is documented evidence, because—
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Please stop the clock. Mr Smyth, I asked you politely and I asked you not to invite me to warn you. I accept your invitation. You are now warned. Minister, you have the call.
MR CORBELL: It is documented evidence. On 28 January, on 4 March, on 25 March, there have been written circulars to all staff, encouraging them to contribute to the review by providing a submission or participating in the other mechanisms provided by the review. There has been written advice to the youth workers at the justice centre encouraging their full participation in the review, encouraging them to provide written submissions, and the department has written to all staff, encouraging them and their community partners to attend the review team’s drop-in clinics.
So at no time has the minister or her senior executive team done anything other than what is entirely appropriate: to say to staff they should participate, they should make submissions and they should provide whatever information they believe should be provided to the inquiry.
We have three allegations in Mrs Dunne’s motion, the first of which relates to the alleged link between what Mrs Dunne alleges is the sacking of a woodwork trainer at Bimberi and his complaints to the Human Rights Commission. The minister for education has already clarified yesterday in question time the circumstances relating to that particular individual and the minister has said, quite unambiguously, that there is no link. There is no link. The minister has said that very clearly.
Mr Barr: In Doszy’s supplementary to me yesterday.
MR CORBELL: If they have evidence to the contrary, let them put it forward.
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