Media Release: Premier Must Apologise & Answer Questions Arising from Failure to Provide Commission Email Details
Premier Must Front Further Questions Arising from Assembly Commission of Inquiry Committee Hearings
7 December 2023
Independent Member for Nelson Meg Webb MLC has called on the Premier and the Secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPAC) to apologise for their failure to provide significant requested information to the Assembly Select Committee hearing on Tuesday, which was then tabled later the following day.
“The Premier must apologise to both victims/survivors and the Parliament for the failure to provide pertinent information at the earliest opportunity to the Assembly Select Committee,” Ms Webb said.
“This smacks of being deliberately orchestrated. Once the Premier is safely interstate and unable to be quizzed further, suddenly the Commission of Inquiry email which the government has had since the 26th of April was finally released publicly.
“Victims/survivors, their families and supporters, as well as any Tasmanian vaguely interested in accountability, deserve to know why the Premier as the responsible State Serve Employer, failed to release this requested email from the Commission of Inquiry relating to employees and potential misconduct notices when asked by the Committee on Tuesday.
“Further, what action was taken by the DPAC Secretary as Head of the State Service when she received the information from the Justice Department a day later on the 27th of April, including informing, or not, the Premier or anyone in the Premier’s Office at the time?
“Has the Premier sighted the unredacted version of this email? If so when, and why weren’t those details provided to Tuesday’s committee hearing?
Ms Webb also highlighted that the email released by the Attorney-General from the Commission of Inquiry mentions earlier correspondence dated the 24th of April.
“What was the correspondence of Monday 24 April cited in the Commission’s email of the 26th of April, received by a State representative, and what further action was taken upon receipt?
“Was the DPAC Secretary informed of the information contained in that email of the 24th April? Was the Premier, or anyone in the Premier’s office informed?
“It is unacceptable, and highly offensive and cruel to victims/survivors and others who participated in the Commission in good faith, that after two days of scrutiny hearings we have more ducking and weaving and unanswered questions regarding serious matters of potential misconduct than we have transparency and respectful answers.
“This would be grounds for the Assembly Select Committee to reconvene and recall the Premier and the DPAC Secretary, to answer these arising questions arising now that this pertinent information is in the public domain but which had been carefully kept behind closed doors until the Premier’s hearing was over,” Ms Webb said.
View below the Attached: Briefing Paper: Unresolved Matters Arising from Assembly Commission of Inquiry Response Select Committee Hearings, December 2023.
