Oakden scandal: Senate inquiry to probe aged care scandal publicly

UPDATED: Public hearings into the Oakden aged care scandal will begin within weeks after a proposal to set up a parliamentary inquiry passed the Senate last night.

Senator Nick Xenophon called for the Senate inquiry into the Oakden scandal. Picture: AAP Image/Lukas Coch

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PUBLIC hearings into the Oakden aged care scandal will begin within weeks after a proposal to set up a parliamentary inquiry passed the Senate last night.

Senator Nick Xenophon, who called for the inquiry, said the Senate should hear from recently resigned SA Chief Psychiatrist Dr Aaron Groves and SA Government Ministers.

Hearings were expected to start within a month after allowing time for submissions to be made to the inquiry to be conducted by the Senate’s Community Affairs References Committee.

The Committee’s reporting date for the inquiry was set for February 18 next year.

“The Senate inquiry vote is a breakthrough. While the ICAC hearing will be behind closed doors, this hearing will be open and witnesses protected by parliamentary privilege,” Senator Xenophon said.

“Unlike the ICAC (South Australian Independent Commission Against Corruption) inquiry, which will be heard behind closed doors, the Senate inquiry will be open.

“The families whose loved ones suffered and died at Oakden deserve answers and this inquiry is all about making that happen.”

While SA Government Ministers or public servants are not obligated to appear before a Senate inquiry, Senator Xenophon said that invitations should be issued to State Mental Health Minister Leesa Vlahos and Health Minister Jack Snelling as well as senior state bureaucrats.

“They will have an opportunity to clear the air, and to set out their side of the story through a parliamentary process. I’d be very disappointed if they didn’t take up any invitation issued,” Senator Xenophon said.

“The terms of reference are all about getting to the truth of what happened at Oakden, who was really responsible, and to make sure it won’t ever happen again.”

He called for potential witnesses to contact the Senate’s Community Affairs References Committee for further information on how to appear.

Contempt proceedings can also be instigated against those responsible for prejudicing any witness that comes forward.

Health Minister Jack Snelling said Dr Groves was a clinician of high standard who was in demand from health services around the country and the Oakden transition would be overseen by a colleague who worked closely with him on the scathing report which uncovered abuse of residents.

Mr Snelling rejected suggestions that staff were deserting a dysfunctional health department.

“What it shows is that high quality people in healthcare are in high demand,” he said.

“It’s no surprise that other jurisdictions, and indeed the private sector, pick them up.”

Mr Snelling said he unable to reveal which job Dr Groves was moving to, but said it was interstate.