Premier Jeremy Rockliff vows cultural change in government as abuse report release date announced

Premier Jeremy Rockliff was among those present to hear the Commission of Inquiry's closing address. He says he has heard well the messages from the commission and those who testified.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff. Commission of Inquiry closing statements in Hobart. Picture: ABC/pool

The final report of the Commission of Inquiry will be tabled in state parliament and released to the public in four weeks on September 26, Premier Jeremy Rockliff said.

The eight-volume 2000-page report comes at the end of an inquiry that ran for 29 months and heard harrowing claims of abuse and cover-ups in the health, youth justice, education and out-of-home care systems.

Mr Rockliff and Attorney-General Elise Archer were among those who attended the Commission’s final address in Hobart on Wednesday,

Afterwards, he repeated the government’s apology for letting down children who suffered abuse in government institutions.

“Today marks a very new beginning,’ Mr Rockliff said.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff. Commission of Inquiry closing statements in Hobart. Picture: ABC/pool

“We cannot only shine a light and admit to and recognise that we have failed so many children in state care, that we will absolutely do all we can diligently and thoroughly to work through every single one of those eight volumes, 191 recommendations of which we will fully and thoroughly implement to ensure that the wrongs of the past can never ever be repeated.

“There is no greater priority for any government of any colour or makeup than to ensure the safety of our children and young people.”

The Commission hands its final report to Governor Barbara Baker on Thursday before disbanding.

Mr Rockliff said the government consider the report and its recommendations ahead of its public release in state parliament on Tuesday, September 26.

“We need to have the time to work through the recommendations, and indeed the findings, to ensure we get this right,” he said.

The Premier thanked the commissioners and their staff for their work.

“I would like to, once again, thank everyone that has contributed, especially of course, victim-survivors who have so courageously come forward to detail their lived experience, no matter how horrific and how devastatingly life-impactful,” he said.

The Commission’s final address included the observation that the culture within the government needed to change to improve the safety of children.

Mr Rockliff said he was committed to leading that reform.

“I take responsibility for it. I’m the premier of Tasmania, and I take responsibility not only for the failures of past governments but indeed the present government as well.

“To me, that culture is unacceptable and there were very clear messages for me today and that is that investment and systems are important but also critically important, is the absolute need to change culture.

“And that is also something that I take responsibility for the only the resources we put into, the systems changes we make, but the culture within government as well must change.”

Premier Rockliff said it was the personal contact with victim-survivors that has moved him the most and made him determined to do what was needed to prevent a repeat of the failures exposed by the commission.

“It’s the personal commitments that I’ve made, those heartfelt conversations that I’ve had, the eye-to-eye contact that I’ve made personally with victims and survivors.

“These are the commitments that I remember, that I reflect on.

“As we go about our work in implementing the recommendations from such significant work, to all the people that I’ve spoken to, reached out to, the people have reached out to me personally — the commitments that I’ve given to you are the commitments that mean most to me.

“We hear you, we listened, and we will act on those recommendations, and we will not let you down.”