Nothing to see here: Report clears public sector chiefs of wrongdoing over child sex abuse scandals

The head of an inquiry into the conduct of senior public servants says he was unable to make contact with the secretary of the Premier’s department during his four-month inquiry.

The Auditor-General of Tasmania, Mike Blake speaks to the media outside Parliament House, Hobart.

Senior Tasmanian public servants have been cleared of wrongdoing, after an investigation into potential misconduct, related to matters raised in the Commission of Inquiry, but it’s been revealed one powerful figure was not included because she was not contactable over the four month probe.

What was being investigated?

Former Tasmanian Auditor-General Mike Blake has examined whether any department bosses breached the State Service Code of Conduct in relation to matters raised in the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s Response to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings.

Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s Response to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings final report. Image: Chris Kidd.

Mr Blake looked into the actions of the past and present secretaries of the Departments of Premier and Cabinet; Health; Education, Children and Young People; Police, Fire and Emergency Management; Justice and the former Department of Communities.

The Commission of Inquiry made findings of serious failures in protecting children from predators in government institutions.

The Auditor-General’s findings

The final report was made public by the Premier Jeremy Rockliff on Friday. It found no wrongdoing.

Mr Blake identified no failures by the those covered by his terms of reference.

“Itis unreasonable, in my view, to lay all of the blame for those identified systemic practices on the current or recent Secretaries who are the subject of my assessment,” he said in his report.

“Having completed my assessment … the conduct of these persons does not potentially breach the Tasmanian State Service Code of Conduct or, in the case of the Commissioner, neither the Tasmanian State Service Code of Conduct nor the code of conduct outlined in the Police Service Act 2003,” Mr Blake noted.

Former Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary could not be contacted

Mr Blake said he spoke to some secretaries and acting secretaries and received submissions from a number of them.

Now former DPAC Secretary and public service chief Jenny Gale, was not one of them.

Jenny Gale, now former Secretary Department of Premier and Cabinet. Commission of Inquiry committee with Premier Jeremy Rockliff. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“In one case, that is Ms Gale, I was unable to make contact with Ms Gale but, based on an extension of my work, I was able to draw a conclusion,” he said.

Ms Gale — who was to be the subject of a parliamentary committee inquiry — resigned after the recent state election following a lengthy period of sick leave.

Mr Blake made ten recommendations

Mr Blake noted the agreement to adopt the recommendations of the Commission without seeing them first.

“I was pleased to see a commitment by Government to implement the COI recommendations,” he said.

“What surprised me, however, was the commitment to do so before actually receiving the report and before evaluating the recommendations made.”

Mr Blake made ten recommendations of his own to improve governance in the state sector.

Mr Rockliff welcomed the report.

“I have accepted Mr Blake’s findings and determined that Secretaries and Acting Secretaries have not breached the Code of Conduct,” he said.

“As I have always stated, I continue to have full confidence in the Secretaries of the relevant departments, and I am pleased to be able to provide this additional level of assurance to the Tasmanian public.

“We will continue to steadfastly deliver the reforms we have initiated to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all Tasmania’s children and young people.”

Originally published as Nothing to see here: Report clears public sector chiefs of wrongdoing over child sex abuse scandals