The Tasmanian Greens welcome the release of Part A of the Woolcott Review and strongly support its recommendations.
Through the years-long Commission of Inquiry’s review into child sexual abuse in government institutions, and its aftermath, it has been obvious there are major roadblocks to holding government staff accountable when they do the wrong thing. We’ve seen lengthy investigations into state servants accused of misconduct, with the subject of the investigation stood down on full pay for years. People who engaged in clearly unacceptable conduct have been able to get away with it due to gaps in legislation and policy.
The Woolcott Review is crucial because it lays out a plan to fix the problems highlighted by the Commission of Inquiry process. It recommends necessary and transformative reforms that collectively will ensure that when people in government institutions engage in misconduct, they are held accountable.
The Greens warmly thank Peter Woolcott AO and Radha Thomas for their work on the review. It was forensic, diligent and consultative.
Given the importance of the Woolcott Review’s recommendations, and the clear recent examples of the problems they are designed to fix, we urge the Government to prioritise this work and make sure implementation begins immediately.
