Palaszczuk Govt commissions another review into Child Safety handling of Mason Lee case

The Palaszczuk Government has commissioned another review into the handling of Mason Jet Lee as the Premier refused to immediately release a report which she’d previously promised to make public.

THE Palaszczuk Government has commissioned another review into the handling of Mason Jet Lee as the Premier refused to immediately release a report which she’d previously promised to make public.

Annastacia Palaszczuk yesterday announced the Public Service Commission (PSC) would look at all staff involved in the case of the Queensland toddler who died after his stepfather struck the boy so hard his intestines ruptured.

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Mason Lee.

The new review comes four years after Mason’s death and three years after the Premier and former Child Safety Minister Shannon Fentiman promised to release the comprehensive Child Death Case Review Panel’s report.

Deputy Coroner Jane Bentley this week issued a scathing rebuke of Child Safety officers involved in Mason's case, saying they failed in "nearly every way possible".

None of the 21 Department of Child Safety staff involved were sacked, with three having left of their own accord.

A further nine were reprimanded, while it's not known whether any action was taken against the remaining nine.

Child Safety Minister Di Farmer dodged questions from The Courier-Mail three days in a row about the case before yesterday claiming she would not comment until the PSC had finished reviewing the issue.

A Government spokesman late yesterday noted the Government had committed to releasing the CDCR Panel’s report and was seeking further advice from Crown Law regarding identification of parties within it.

In April 2017, Ms Palaszczuk said, “Let me make it very clear, the report will be released in full following the trials.”

Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington said the Premier needed to take responsibility, claiming it wasn’t good enough to “pass the buck” to the PSC.

Ms Frecklington said she wanted to see a full review of the Child Safety Department.

“It’s not good enough just to palm it off to the Public Service Commission,” she said.

LNP Leader Deb Frecklington. Picture Glenn Hampson

Earlier yesterday Ms Palaszczuk said it wasn't publicly acceptable for a department to judge a department.

"A tragedy has occurred here, and a young boy has lost his life," she said.

"Everything that needs to happen, must happen.

"I've spoken with my Director-General today and I have asked that the coroner's report be forwarded to him to go to our Public Service Commissioner.

"I don't think that it's publicly acceptable for a department to judge a department.

"The Public Service Commissioner must look at all of the staff that have been involved."

The Premier said the case was heartbreaking.

"We just need to go through that report very carefully and we need to make sure that we adopt the recommendations that the deputy coroner has made,” she said.

Originally published as Palaszczuk Govt commissions another review into Child Safety handling of Mason Lee case