Page 930 - Week 03 - Thursday, 21 March 2019

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(d) the published sections of the KPMG report into hospital infrastructure that showed that the ageing Canberra Hospital buildings posed safety risks to patients and were in desperate need of major redevelopment; and

(e) the ongoing delays in the development of the Surgical Procedures, Interventional Radiology and Emergency (SPIRE) project; and

(2) expresses a want of confidence in the Minister for Health and Wellbeing.

On 2 February the Canberra Times published an editorial responding to the release of the interim report of the independent review on workplace culture within the ACT health services. The editorial described the findings as appalling and as the most damning indictment of the gravely troubled organisation to date. It poses the question: how it is possible that in Australia in the 21st century a publicly funded and allegedly professionally managed institution can be so dysfunctional, the Canberra Times went on to say. Under the Westminster system, ultimate accountability for serious failings within a department rests with the minister, in this case Meegan Fitzharris, said the Canberra Times.

The editorial concluded by taking the unprecedented step—at least in the history of self-government in the ACT—of musing that:

Based on yesterday’s blistering interim report, it would be truly remarkable if she—

the Minister for Health and Wellbeing—

is able to continue as minister once Mr Reid’s inquiry is over.

Madam Speaker, Mr Reid’s inquiry is over. His final report has come down almost unchanged except to in a sense enliven the extent of the problem by reinforcing a point he felt that he had not made sufficiently in the first report: that poor culture leads to poor patient outcomes.

The Canberra Times called for the Minister for Health and Wellbeing to take responsibility, firstly, for her continuous denial that there was a problem with bullying and workplace culture in the ACT public health system; secondly, for her continuous failure to take action to fix the problems despite the calls from staff, the AMA, other organisations and the Canberra media as well as the Liberal opposition; thirdly, for her repeated false claims that ACT Health had safe and respectful pathways for employees to follow when they were making complaints; and, fourthly, for her repeated false claim that the ACT government has zero tolerance for workplace bullying and harassment.

On the release of the interim report in February, the Minister for Health and Wellbeing said in a media release:

The report released today provides difficult reading, and I’m sorry that there are people who work within our health services who have experienced bullying, intimidation and harassment.

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