Question & Answer – Where is Tatarka Review of Commission of Inquiry Legal Fees Paid?
The Hon Meg Webb MLC asked her original Question on Notice regarding the status of the Tatarka Review on Thursday the 13th of March 2025.
The Attorney General, the Hon. Guy Barnett MP, provided his response dated the 16th of April 2025 (but it was not tabled and provided to Ms Webb until Tuesday 3rd of June 2025 due to the sitting schedule)
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T A S M A N I A
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
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Session of 2024 – 2025
QUESTION ON NOTICE
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QUESTION
29  Ms Webb to ask the Honourable Leader of the Government — In relation to the Independent Review undertaken by Mr Sam Tatarka OAM into legal assistance provided to state servants in the course of the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings, can the Government:
(1) Â Confirm whether the Independent Reviewer completed the review and provided the final report to the government by December 2024 as the Attorney-General indicated was the anticipated timeframe in a statement to the Parliament on the 27th November 2024;
(2) Â If the independent Review continued beyond December 2024, confirm whether it is still underway and if not, when it was completed and whether the final report has been received by Government and if so when; and
(3) Â Detail when the review and any recommendations will be made public?
RESPONSE
As I have previously advised, 27 individuals were granted legal assistance under ED16.
The Government received Mr Tatarka’s report on 5 March 2025.
Mr Tatarka has completed assessments of 18 of the 27 public officers in receipt of legal assistance under Employment Direction 16. The remaining 9 will be completed by Mr Tatarka as soon as possible.
I have requested advice from my Department and I have instructed them to progress work to enable the release of the Tatarka Report as permitted by law.
As I have previously advised, I will release as much of the report as permitted by law.
Hon Guy Barnett MP
Attorney-General
Minister for Justice
Date: 16 April 2025
The Hon Meg Webb MLC asked her Question on Notice regarding the status of the Tatarka Review on Thursday the 13th of March 2025.
Thursday, 13 March 2025
Ms Webb to ask the Honourable Leader of the Government ⎯  In relation to the Independent Review undertaken by Mr Sam Tatarka OAM into legal assistance provided to state servants in the course of the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings, can the government:
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- Confirm whether the Independent Reviewer completed the review and provided the final report to the government by December 2024 as the Attorney-General indicated was the anticipated timeframe in a statement to the Parliament on the 27th November 2024;
- If the independent Review continued beyond December 2024, confirm whether it is still underway and if not, when it was completed and whether the final report has been received by government and if so when?; and
- Detail when the review and any recommendations will be made public?
View a previous question asked by Meg in May 2024 on the status of the independent Tatarka Review here
