Page 1468 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 6 April 2011
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The other major reason I will not be supporting the motion without amendment is that there are two inquiries underway to review the policies and practice in place at Bimberi. These inquiries are the appropriate forum for the analysis of policies and procedures and for the analysis of their implementation, currency and training for staff.
We must wait for those inquiries to do their work, to conduct their inquiries and to draw conclusions, make recommendations—recommendations that are based on considered, detailed and informed analysis. I am confident that, in conducting these inquiries, the human rights commissioner and the Children and Young People Commissioner will canvass a wide range of people with good knowledge of Bimberi, what has happened and what is happening there, rather than rely on the views of a very limited number of people.
I know that the human rights commissioner and the Commissioner for Children and Young People are speaking to current and former staff members from Bimberi, to youth detention officers, to team leaders, to unit managers, to young people, to operational and program staff and to relevant professionals who have a good understanding of the issues and complexities facing staff and the young people at the centre. We know that it is not the review that Mrs Dunne wants but it is the review that has been endorsed by this Assembly. These inquiries are underway and the reports from these inquiries are due by 30 June of this year and we should allow them to run their course.
I also have concerns about the intent of this motion in its present form, and I say that, if Mrs Dunne has allegations regarding the policies and procedures in place at Bimberi, she needs to bring them forward so that they can be dealt with by my office, the department or the review process. Mrs Dunne also referred to text messages and I want to thank Mrs Dunne for tabling that material last night because, in my view, it confirmed that my office has acted appropriately.
So let me summarise, Mrs Dunne, based on what you have said and the material you have provided. The individual you referred to sent a text message to my staff member making a number of serious allegations. My staff member indicated that it was not appropriate to respond by a text message and advised the individual formally to put his concerns to the relevant department, noting that the allegations related to both DET and DHCS and that the department would respond. The individual was advised to put such concerns in writing and the relevant department would respond. The individual chose to ignore this advice and, despite having been told that text messaging was not an appropriate medium to be making such allegations, he proceeded to send another text message, making a further allegation.
Yesterday and again today, you said my staff did not respond to that text message. I think it is fairly self-evident that text messaging is not an appropriate medium to be making serious allegations, and my office’s position has not changed. It is something that needs to be put quite formally. No reasonable person here would assume or accept that text messaging such serious allegations is appropriate; nor would Twitter or Facebook, in my view, be considered an appropriate place. I do wonder what formats Mrs Dunne uses. We know she shops online. I often wonder what sort of other appropriate or inappropriate activities she does with her computer here.
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