Suspended public sector child sex abuse suspects paid millions while investigations drag on

Taxpayers have forked out millions of dollars to public sector workers accused of child sex offences – who have been suspended on full pay – sometimes for years, Labor claims. Premier Rockliff’s response.

Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Jenny Gale.

Taxpayers have forked out the equivalent of more than 60 years worth of full-time wages to public sector workers accused of child sex offences, Labor says.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff has rejected claims that the state was paying sex offenders as “a new low” and “a disgusting falsehood”.

Routine disclosures by the Department of Premier and Cabinet reveal 74 state servants have been suspended from duty as a result of allegations of child sexual abuse since October 2020.

Figures obtained by Labor reveal they have been paid a total of around 22,000 days pay – equivalent to more than 61 years worth of full-time wages.

The average suspended public servant on the list as been stood down on full pay for 303 days – with six having been stood down for more than 1,000 days.
The figures note that two of the 74 had not been paid, but did not indicate which two.

Labor’s Shane Broad said the cost was clearly in the millions of dollars.

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

Labor MP Shane Broad estimated taxpayers had forked out millions.

“Why are taxpayers paying potential child sexual abusers more than $6 million and why does it take so long to investigate allegations?” Mr Broad asked.

“We are hearing of pensioners constantly struggling to pay their power bills. Tasmanians are choosing between heating and eating over winter.

“Coming up to Christmas more Tasmanians than ever are struggling to keep food on the table.”

Mr Rockliff accused Labor of reaching “a new low point with this disgusting falsehood”.

“There isn’t a single Tasmanian who believes this outrageous slur from Dr Broad and he should be ashamed,” he said.

“In matters of child sexual abuse, we immediately remove the employee from the workplace to ensure the investigation can proceed as quickly as practicable and to keep children and young people safe.

“The length of time some of these investigations are taking falls well short of mine and the public’s expectations.

“We must do better and do all we can within the law to ensure investigations are timely.

“It is deeply disappointing the Labor Party is trying to politicise this process, which must be legally sound and adhere to natural justice principles.”

It comes as Labor won its bid for the establishment of a parliamentary committee to examine evidence given by Mr Rockliff and public sector chief Jenny Gale to parliamentary hearings into the Commission of Inquiry.

Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Jenny Gale speaks to the media at the Executive Building in Hobart on Friday, December 1, 2023.

The new inquiry will recall the Premier and Ms Gale and re-examine their evidence, ask them whether they withheld information or misled the committee with their answers, Opposition leader Rebecca White said.

“When asked by the hearing on that day if they had been provided with a list of the 22 public servants that had received Section 18 notifications by the Commission of Inquiry they both stated they had not,” she said.

“Yet the following day at the hearing involving Justice Secretary Ginna Webster and Attorney-General Guy Barnett it was revealed that the Department of Justice had sent the list to all Department Secretaries in April.

Deputy Premier Michael Ferguson described the bid as a “stunt”.

“What is happening is the leader of the Labor Party is trying again, to create chaos,” he said.

Ms Gale has strenuously denied misleading the Committee.

Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff said she was not convinced.

“There is no doubt that her language was in our view, deliberately unclear and misleading,” she said.

Originally published as Suspended public sector child sex abuse suspects paid millions while investigations drag on