The Attorney General was today unable to tell the Parliament whether staff identified through the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse or National Redress Scheme are still employed by the Tasmanian government.
Shadow Attorney General Ella Haddad said Elise Archer told Estimates today that she cannot say whether anyone named in these processes is still employed by the Ashley Youth Detention Centre or any other agency.
"Revelations in Budget Estimates this week are indicative of deep problems at Ashley and potentially across the State Service," Ms Haddad said.
"Late yesterday, the Minister for Children and Youth Sarah Courtney revealed that more than half of the total number of official State Service Code of Conduct investigations underway in the Communities Department relate to Ashley. That's six out of 11 current investigations.
"This followed revelations earlier this week that an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment at Ashley took almost two years to reach a conclusion and the findings were broadcast from the Estimates hearings before the complainant was informed.
"Minster Courtney told Estimates last night that the questions should be addressed to the Attorney General instead, but today the Attorney General was unable to tell us whether Ashley still employs anyone named in the National Redress Scheme or Royal Commission into Institutional Sexual Abuse.
"It is astonishing that government processes are so bad that the Attorney General cannot say whether children in the government's care are safe or if her government still employs people identified through the Royal Commission.
"And it beggars belief after this government's insistence that it places importance on creating safe and respectful workplaces.
"Ashley is a juvenile detention facility and the safety of the young people detained there should be paramount."
Ella Haddad MP
Shadow Attorney General
