Media Release: Is Government Sitting On Two Commission of Inquiry-related Reports?

September 1, 2025

Is Government Sitting On Two Commission of Inquiry-related Reports?

Monday, 1 September 2025

Independent Member for Nelson Meg Webb said today that two years on from the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s Responses to Child Sexual Abuse providing its final report to the Governor on 31 August 2023, the Government is still failing to keep the community updated on related important independent reviews.

“I call on the Rockliff Government to provide immediate status updates on both the independent review into legal assistance provided to State servants undertaken by Mr Sam Tatarka OAM, and the independent review undertaken by former Australian Public Service Commissioner Peter Woolcott AO of the actions of government agencies, their impacts, resources and responses to information and concerns raised by the Commission of Inquiry,” Ms Webb said.

“Following the second anniversary of the Governor receiving the Commission of Inquiry’s Final Report on 31 August 2023, it is deeply concerning that we are still waiting for the public release of findings from these two consequential independent reviews.

“Is the Rockliff Government deliberately sitting on these two independent final reports which could provide insight into whether, and how, the State prioritises protecting children over perceived state interests?

“The Woolcott Review was commissioned by the Premier in November 2023, and the Tatarka review was announced by the Attorney General in December that same year – 18 months and two State elections later we are still waiting for their final reports to be released publicly.”

Ms Webb said the Government was expected to receive the Woolcott Review Final Report in July this year, but the community has not been informed whether that deadline has been met or not.

“Has the Woolcott Review Final Report been received, and if so when, and when will it be released publicly?

“In response to my Question in Parliament earlier this year, the Attorney General revealed the government received the Tatarka Review Final Report on 5 March. Yet despite promises work was underway to release as much of the report ‘permitted by law’, all we have heard since is radio silence.

“This is just not good enough.  We should not have to keep dragging out such important information from Government.

“The COI identified institutional child abuse was enabled under the cover of secrecy, lack of accountability, and inaction by authorities.  Despite promises of change and a greater spotlight of scrutiny and transparency, clearly some bad habits are yet to change.

“If the government genuinely wants to rebuild community trust and confidence in our child safety systems and oversight entities, then a good place to start would be voluntarily providing updates on the status of these two independent reviews.”

Background Information:
  • 31 August 2023: the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (CoI) provided its final report to the Governor of Tasmania.
  • 26 September 2023: Premier Jeremy Rockliff MP tabled the CoI Final Report in the Tasmanian Parliament.
  • 14 November 2023: Legislative Council passed a motion tabled by Meg Webb MLC calling for an independent and external inquiry into the serious impediments to making findings experienced by Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s Response to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings, and as raised in the Commission’s Final Report.

The government attempted to pre-empt debate on this motion by announcing on the 14th of November the independent review by Peter Woolcott AO and another review to be conducted by former Auditor General Mike Blake AM.  The respective Terms of Reference of both these reviews did not cover all matters referred to in Meg Webb’s motion.

  • 18 December 2023: Attorney General Guy Barnett MP announced the Independent Review to be undertaken by Mr Sam Tatarka OAM into legal assistance provided to state servants during the CoI.
  • 13 March 2025: Meg Webb MLC tabled a Question on Notice regarding status of the Tatarka Review. The Attorney General’s response dated 16 April 2025 (but not tabled until 3 June 2025) stated the government received Mr Tatarka’s report on 5 March 2025.

More information regarding both the independent Tatarka Review and the independent Woolcott Review can be found on the Tasmanian Government’s Keeping Children Safe website: https://keepingchildrensafe.tas.gov.au/reviews/