In the wake of the independent Weiss Review into Paul Reynolds, the Rockliff Government must commit to strengthening the powers of the Integrity Commission in line with the report’s recommendations.
Reynolds’ paedophilia, and a workplace that enabled and excused it for decades, caused devastating trauma. Every necessary step must be taken to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Regina Weiss’s excellent report makes it clear; reform of the Integrity Commission is urgently needed to ensure it has better oversight and investigative powers for serious misconduct in Tasmania Police.
The report reaffirms that Tasmania’s Integrity Commission is lagging far behind the rest of the country in its capacity to investigate misconduct and corruption.
It has the weakest powers to investigate police of any Australian integrity body. That must change as a matter of urgency.
The report provides some detail as to how Reynolds was able to get away with his abuse for three decades or more, and it rightly asks, who polices the police?
That is what a strong integrity body can do, but Tasmania doesn’t have one. Parliament needs to fix the Integrity Commission Act 2009 this year.
The Integrity Commission needs stronger coercive powers and the right to silence for those subject to a serious misconduct investigation must be removed from the Integrity Commission Act.
The Commission also needs to be recognised as a law enforcement body under federal legislation, as is every other integrity and anti-corruption body in Australia except the A.C.T. which is now moving in this direction.
Accountability is still needed. Justice has not yet been served to Reynolds’ victims and those police officers and community members whose trust he also abused. The Reynolds matter must be referred to an Integrity Commission with teeth.
We expect the Attorney General to announce amendments to the Act will be prepared and brought to Parliament this year. If he won’t do this, the Greens will.
Also in line with Ms Weiss’s recommendations, the Rockliff government also needs to ensure there is funding allocated in the September budget for a redress scheme for victims survivors of abuse by members of Tasmania Police.
