Dr WOODRUFF – Premier, is the unbudgeted funding for the Weiss review a separate line item or are you including it in commission of inquiry funding? They are very specific recommendations, they are different and additional to the 191 commission of inquiry recommendations. Is it a separate line item?
Mr ROCKLIFF – Thank you very much for the question and I thank Ms Weiss for her diligence in providing the report and the recommendations. We’ve publicly committed to implementing all five recommendations of the Weiss independent review. Work to implement the recommendations is underway and being led by the Department of Premier and Cabinet in close consultation with the Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management, Department of Justice and other relevant agencies and officers as required. This work will be subject to the same governance and oversight arrangements, including independent oversight of the Child Safety and Reform Implementation Monitor, once appointed.
The initial phase of work to respond to the Weiss review involves policy and legislative development and scoping activities, which are being undertaken from within existing agency resources and in alignment with related recommendations of the commission of inquiry.
Dr WOODRUFF – Premier, can I draw you to the question, please? Is it funded through a separate line item or is it funded as part of the commission of inquiry bucket of money?
Mr ROCKLIFF – The work undertaken by the Department of Police and Emergency Services is within their budget and the commission of inquiry investments as well.
Dr WOODRUFF – So it’s a part of the commission of inquiry funding?
Mr ROCKLIFF – In terms of what I’ve just said, in terms of the work we are starting to undertake for the implementation of the recommendations following the review. Kathrine, do you want to add anything further to this?
Ms MORGAN-WICKS – The commission of inquiry reform unit within the Department of Premier and Cabinet has taken responsibility for the coordination of the recommendations of the Weiss review into Paul Reynolds. For example, one of the recommendations which relates to redress requires a significant amount of work to look at what a redress scheme would look like. Certainly, the Weiss review made a start in terms of the recommendations for that scheme, but it was not fulsome in terms of its parameters. If I may reflect as a previous secretary of Justice that looked at the redress scheme for the royal commission into child sexual abuse within government institutions, it’s actually quite a piece of work to prepare and advise on options for the parameters of a redress scheme, but that work has commenced and will inform the 2025-26 budget. Funding to do that work is within the commission of inquiry funding which is within DPAC’s budget.
Dr WOODRUFF – Premier, on 29 April last year you committed to managing the Macquarie Point project to make sure it didn’t cost more than $715 million. Your recent summary report to the Planning Commission shows that costs have already escalated to $775 million. Will you be Premier enough to apologise for breaking that promise, or was it just a lazy commitment that you made to defend your position at the time?
Mr ROCKLIFF – Really?
Dr WOODRUFF – Yes, really. People care about $60 million.
Mr ROCKLIFF – We are investing $375 million as the state government.
Dr WOODRUFF – Your promise was that it wouldn’t cost more than $715 million.
Mr ROCKLIFF – It is only costing the Tasmanian taxpayers $375 million.
Dr WOODRUFF – Will you apologise for not being honest with them? You’ve broken your promise.
Mr ROCKLIFF – No, I haven’t.
Dr WOODRUFF – You have. Do you just say words and they don’t mean things?
CHAIR – Order, Dr Woodruff.
Mr ROCKLIFF – I made it very clear during the election campaign, in full openness and transparency, Dr Woodruff, that we will be investing $375 million and the rest will be coming from private resources.
Dr WOODRUFF – That’s not the question I asked. It was about the $715 million promise you made to Tasmanians that the stadium would cost no more than that.
Mr ROCKLIFF – And I then promised $375 million, which is less, in actual fact.
Dr WOODRUFF – A different promise. So, you –
Mr ROCKLIFF – We invest $8.8 million a day in Health and if you multiply 8.8 by 42 it comes to about $375 million – so there you go.
Dr WOODRUFF – Right – promises one day and change them the next.
