Mr O’CONNOR – Thank you. Minister, are you moving to put family violence response – are you working to take it out of Premier and Cabinet and move it into Justice?
Ms OGILVIE – Yes, I did look at that and that is one of my intentions.
Mr O’CONNOR – On what basis –
Ms OGILVIE – I will ask the department to talk that through, as there has been a change to plan, but –
Mr O’CONNOR – Well, that would be your directives, though, wouldn’t it? Isn’t it your –
Ms OGILVIE – Well, I work with everyone. It was my intention.
Mr O’CONNOR – It wasn’t the department’s decision. It’s your decision, if you’re minister.
Ms OGILVIE – I work collaboratively, obviously.
Mr O’CONNOR – No, but in a Westminster – a decision like that is a ministerial – the responsibility sits on you.
Ms OGILVIE – Yes, but I don’t bark orders at people; I work with people.
Mr O’CONNOR – No, but – no, I understand that. You’re the minister.
Ms OGILVIE – So I might ask you to refer to that. I am happy to talk to it and get the information from the department first.
Ms MORGAN-WICKS – Through the minister, when I have come in as a new secretary for Premier and Cabinet, I have had a look at the structure, the teams and functions, and noting also the maturity of the Tasmanian Plan, and the significant funding that is under that plan, so the sum $12.5 million per annum, but noting probably the small number of FTE that sit within Premier and Cabinet to administer the plan and continue those conversations, but other resourcing that sits within our Strategic Policy Division to support it on a national level.
We did have a look at whether that – and in discussions with the minister – but also discussions with the Premier, given the Premier represents this issue at the national cabinet basis, to look at whether it would be those FTE are better placed and situated with Justice who have a larger number and supporting staff frontline. So that went to consultation with our staff, and we received feedback from the sector who wrote to the Premier and no doubt the minister also.
We have considered that feedback and recommend that that now remains within Premier and Cabinet, also noting the additional investment that has come through nationally. So that is a decision that was discussed with the relevant ministers, including obviously the minister for this portfolio. I can confirm that that will remain within Premier and Cabinet.
Ms O’CONNOR – Thank you, Ms Morgan-Wicks. Presumably, the feedback from the sector was it is a bomb of an idea and don’t do it? The sector would have like the fact that it is a whole-of- government approach if you have it within Premier and Cabinet.
Ms OGILVIE – I think Mel would like to make a comment?
Ms GRAY – Yes. Through you, minister, we did also sit down with the sector, and the sector did acknowledge the logic behind considering the alignment with Justice, and acknowledged that there was some logic there. Looking at departmental arrangements across jurisdictions was also considered including with many jurisdictions leading this work through their line agency Department of Justice equivalents, and the intent was to develop sort of synergies with other programs that are currently administered by Justice, including legal assistance and Safe at Home, and keeping women safe in their homes program, flexible support packages.
Although there were synergies with these programs, it wasn’t intended that the Family and Sexual Violence portfolio was going to be amalgamated into Safe at Home or a criminal justice response. However, acknowledging those strong links, the feedback was quite clearly from the sector that the links to commission of inquiry and the national cabinet priority meant that, to be honest, it could have – it could have worked either way, but there was a strong preference for it to remain more with that central whole of government focus.
Mr O’CONNOR – That is obviously also a recognition at some level, an appreciation of the work that is done through Premier and Cabinet in this area. Can I ask, minister – and I might have missed it when it – it might have come up before when I was on my computer briefly. The Women’s Policy Unit in the Department of Premier and Cabinet –
CHAIR – We haven’t got there yet.
Mr O’CONNOR – We aren’t?
CHAIR – No.
Mr O’CONNOR – Okay. Sorry. I’m just looking at two-line items in the one budget page.
CHAIR – No. Just hold your thoughts.
