Commission of Inquiry scrutiny hearings begin today

The ministers responsible for implementing the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry will face two days of grilling before a special session of parliament this week. What to expect.

Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff speaks to the media on parliament Lawns in Hobart on Wednesday, November 22, 2023.

The ministers responsible for implementing the recommendation of the Commission of Inquiry will face two days of grilling before a special session of parliament this week.

Two days of scrutiny of the government’s response to the 191 recommendations contained in the Commission's final report will take place over two days of hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Premier; Minister for Health; Minister for Education, Children and Youth, Attorney-General and Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management will all face the House of Assembly committee.

The government last week released its formal response, Titled ‘Keeping Children Safe and Rebuilding Trust’, and includes a signed statement of commitment from every government minister and the secretaries of every government department.

Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff said it was important that parliament held the government to account for delivering the Commission’s recommendations.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff. Final question time in the Tasmanian parliament for 2023. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“It’s a mammoth, complex, massive undertaking responding to the 191 recommendations, we will be undertaking scrutiny of the government’s response in good faith, trying to look at issues of timelines, funding and the government’s approach,” Dr Woodruff said.

“We’ve got we’ve got some concerns that the timelines that have been proposed by the Commission of Inquiry, in some instances, appear to have been extended by the government. And we’ll be asking questions about that, as well as the amount of funding that will go towards making sure children are kept safe today, as well as into the future.”

Independent MLC Meg Webb said the government’s statements of commitment to learning from the Commission of Inquiry.

“I was promised on the 14th of November that before parliament rose for the year, I would receive formal answers to my five Commission of Inquiry-related Questions on Notice, yet three weeks later I am still waiting,” she said.

“The ongoing silence, despite promises, can only be interpreted that the answers will expose the government’s continued failure to address the concerns raised by the Commissioners themselves and by victims/survivors and others since.

“My parliamentary questions attempt to get to the heart of who in government knew what when, regarding the Commission’s concerns about the Act and other impediments preventing the Commission from it doing its job.

“Victims/survivors and their supporters deserve to know when the Premier, the Attorney-General, their political offices, and their respective Departments were first informed of the Commission’s concerns regarding impediments to its work, given the critical accountability gaps in the final report.

The Legislative Council will hold its own scrutiny of the government’s response in March next year.

Originally published as Commission of Inquiry scrutiny hearings begin today