Dr WOODRUFF question to PREMIER, Mr ROCKLIFF
On behalf of victims/survivors, I am very concerned about your response to my question regarding the need for parliamentary scrutiny of your Government's response to the report. The commission of inquiry is one of the most important things that has ever happened in Tasmania and one of the most momentous matters that will ever face this parliament.
Individual members are not responsible for resourcing the recommendations or drafting the laws that are required; it is you and your Government who are. I remind you that there are no parliamentary sittings scheduled after 4 December. What follows is a long summer break. Adding one extra week of parliament should not be too much to ask so that parliament can scrutinise your Government's response to this report in the manner that victims/survivors demand we do.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, my ministerial statement today will outline a number of areas that we need to be proactive on. We will have a supplementary appropriation bill later on in October and our departments are working now on a very comprehensive response for 4 December all about the victims/survivors and the safety of our children and young people. We have to get this right and we need the time to ensure that we do get this right.
This is going to be some journey for all of us. That is why it is important, notwithstanding the vital aspect of accountability and scrutiny of the government of the day, but also the collective responsibility we all have, given the commissioners' report covers the last 23 years, during which we have had governments of all colours, so we all need to take that responsibility.
