Tasmania Commission of Inquiry: Premier Jeremy Rockliff to reveal state government’s response

The Commission of Inquiry’s final report will be tabled as soon as possible after being delivered on August 31, Premier Jeremy Rockliff has pledged.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff. Question time in the Tasmanian parliament. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

UPDATED: The Commission of Inquiry’s final report will be tabled as soon as possible after being delivered on August 31, Premier Jeremy Rockliff has pledged.

Mr Rockliff made a ministerial statement to Parliament about the report’s release on Thursday.

He said the report would be delivered to Governor Barbara Baker and be subject to a review to ensure its contents did not breach principles of procedural fairness or security, or privacy requirements.

The report must be tabled within ten parliamentary sitting days.

“I appreciate that there are victim-survivors and their supporters who are waiting on these recommendations and therefore, I will table the final report in the House of Assembly on the next available sitting day once the Governor’s review is complete,” he said.

Mr Rockliff said the government would ensure support was available for those most affected by the report.

“We are acutely aware of the need for a co-ordinated trauma-informed and meaningful offers of support to individuals impacted by child sexual abuse in our institutions,” he said.

“It is vital that victims survivors, state service employees and members of the Tasmanian community are supported, safe and able to report concerns following the release of the final report.”

Mr Rockliff said the government would also release a response to the report, including whop it would implement, monitor and report on the Commission’s recommendations.

Labor leader Rebecca White said the update was welcome.

“I know there are many victim-survivors and others who provided evidence to the Commission of Inquiry who are very pleased to receive an update from the government about the next steps and some clarity around what can be expected once the Commission of Inquiry finalises its report and hands that to the Governor,” she said.

She said Labor supported the implimentation of the report’s recommendations.

Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff said she was concerned that parts of the report might be withheld.

She said this was not the case with the recent Federal Royal Commission report into robodebt.

“We know that what happened in that situation was the decision about redactions in that report were properly made by the Royal Commission itself.

“They were not made by politicians.

“If it is not the Commission of Inquiry itself that has chosen to have a sealed section of the report, then we are very concerned there will be widespread perception that redactions of the Commission of Inquiry report have been made within a political space just to sanitize the truth.”

She said history would judge the government on its actions.

UPDATED, August 10: Child welfare advocates have called on the government to be more transparent about its plans for releasing the report of the Commission of Inquiry.

The final report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings will be handed to the government at the end of this month.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff is expected to address parliament this morning about the issue.

Victim-survivors want the government to spell out exactly when the Commission of Inquiry Report will be released and what assistance and supports will be made available to those most profoundly affected.

Ashley Youth Detention Centre whistleblower Alysha and Commission of Inquiry witness Jack Davenport issued a statement calling on the government to be completely transparent.

“We are deeply concerned that just a few weeks out from receiving the most important report any of us might see in our lifetimes, the community hasn’t been given even the most basic level of information about what to expect,” they said.

“With hundreds of victim survivors, whistleblowers, witnesses and their supports having been profoundly impacted by the issues the Commission has been investigating, it is critically important to ensure that this time is handled in the most sensitive and trauma informed manner.

“Victim survivors, whistleblowers and others affected are bracing themselves, for information that will be retraumatising and deeply distressing.

“It is unfortunate and perhaps a sign of how little progress has been made on these fronts, that we are still in the dark about what happens next.

“This Commission of Inquiry would not have been necessary if there was a culture and an expectation of transparency and integrity in all Government Departments.”

Mr Rockliff’s statement is expected after Question Time.

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EARLIER: Premier Jeremy Rockliff will outline his government’s plans for how it will respond to the Commission of Inquiry’s final report in state parliament on Thursday.

Mr Rockliff is expected make a ministerial statement to the house, which will include details of the timing of the report’s release and the arrangements in place for support services to assist victim-survivors.

It comes after criticism that the government has not done enough to keep those most closely involved about when exactly the report will be made public and what steps will be in place to prepare for and brief victim-survivors and witnesses on the report’s contents.

The Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings was established on March 2021 by then Premier Peter Gutwein after a series of scandals.

It was announced on Wednesday that Commissioners Marcia Neave, Leah Bromfield and Robert Benjamin will deliver the Commission’s closing address on August 30.

They will submit the Commission’s report to the Governor on Thursday 31 August.

Under the legislation governing the Commission of Inquiry, the government then has ten days to table the report in state parliament.

Originally published as Tasmania Commission of Inquiry: Premier Jeremy Rockliff to reveal state government’s response