❓ Question regarding staff culture at the Department for Community Development following an Ombudsman's report, alleging a toxic environment inhibiting truthfulness and reporting of abuse. The Minister's response deflects, highlighting government reforms and criticising the questioner.
AnsweredQoN 575Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT - CULTURE
I refer to the staff culture at the Department for Community Development, as outlined in today’s Ombudsman’s report, including concerns raised by the staff. The staff are reported to have said - This subculture is “ staff first ”. Kids are “ ungrateful ”, “ bastards ”. You really have to be strong to fight the culture. . . . The culture also inhibits people telling the truth about incidents. . . . I had a couple of workers come to me at various times and say I can’t speak out about what I see someone else doing because I have to work with them for night shift . . . and they will set me up with a kid. They will hang me out to dry. . . . ‘… there is a culture . . . that staff stick together and they don’t tell management anything and if anybody does they are punished. . . . ‘There is a reluctance to report abuse - a culture of keeping quiet . . . In meetings staff won’t speak up - it’s a full on culture - you’re called a “ stirrer ”, “ Bolshie ”. In light of these comments, which I hope the minister has read - (1) Will the minister concede that the culture of the DCD, which was allowed to fester under the former minister, the member for Kenwick, is a major contributing factor to the failures that have occurred in the department? (2) Given the limited powers of the minister’s internal review, will the minister show some genuine leadership on this issue and establish a royal commission? Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN
I refer to the staff culture at the Department for Community Development, as outlined in today’s Ombudsman’s report, including concerns raised by the staff. The staff are reported to have said - This subculture is “ staff first ”. Kids are “ ungrateful ”, “ bastards ”. You really have to be strong to fight the culture. . . . The culture also inhibits people telling the truth about incidents. . . . I had a couple of workers come to me at various times and say I can’t speak out about what I see someone else doing because I have to work with them for night shift . . . and they will set me up with a kid. They will hang me out to dry. . . . ‘… there is a culture . . . that staff stick together and they don’t tell management anything and if anybody does they are punished. . . . ‘There is a reluctance to report abuse - a culture of keeping quiet . . . In meetings staff won’t speak up - it’s a full on culture - you’re called a “ stirrer ”, “ Bolshie ”. In light of these comments, which I hope the minister has read - (1) Will the minister concede that the culture of the DCD, which was allowed to fester under the former minister, the member for Kenwick, is a major contributing factor to the failures that have occurred in the department? (2) Given the limited powers of the minister’s internal review, will the minister show some genuine leadership on this issue and establish a royal commission? Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(2) I thank the member for Nedlands for her question. As the member is well aware, this government has not only introduced a swag of reforms in the area of child protection, but also made sure that people who have grave concerns have the opportunity to raise them. The member needs to be reminded that it was this government that introduced the Public Interest Disclosure Act to ensure that people who wished to raise concerns could raise them and have them investigated appropriately. The former government did not do that. Ms S.E. Walker : What about Jean Thornton? She was bullied under the legislation. Go back and read it. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : The member for Nedlands is the parliamentary example of Vicky Pollard. She says, “Yeah, but no, but yeah, but no, but yeah, but!” That is what the member does. The SPEAKER : Order, members! It is the member for Nedlands’ question but that does not mean she can talk continuously. I call the member to order for the third time. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : That is what the member does, and she has done that for a long time. What happened when the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands in Geraldton? Just because we were in the wonderful Queens Park Theatre, the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands. She was like a one-hit wonder. She was a flop! She was there for the first day and gone again the next. Everyone around town was asking, “Who was that woman?” That is what people were asking me in the coffee shops in Geraldton. When I was sitting in a coffee shop, they asked me, “Who was that woman? She just went off, but she said nothing.” I have made sure that the internal review we are conducting, in which concerns have been raised, is a very vigorous process. The government has also made sure that it has a legislative program behind its approach to child protection. The government has poured $140 million more into tackling the problem, which is a huge amount of money in comparison with the amount that the previous government put in. The member for Nedlands, the parliamentary Vicky Pollard, might say, “Yeah, but no, yeah, but no, yeah, but no”, but this government is doing more than any government has done for child protection, and it will continue to do it.
. . . The culture also inhibits people telling the truth about incidents. . . . I had a couple of workers come to me at various times and say I can’t speak out about what I see someone else doing because I have to work with them for night shift . . . and they will set me up with a kid. They will hang me out to dry. . . . ‘… there is a culture . . . that staff stick together and they don’t tell management anything and if anybody does they are punished. . . . ‘There is a reluctance to report abuse - a culture of keeping quiet . . . In meetings staff won’t speak up - it’s a full on culture - you’re called a “ stirrer ”, “ Bolshie ”.
The culture also inhibits people telling the truth about incidents. . . . I had a couple of workers come to me at various times and say I can’t speak out about what I see someone else doing because I have to work with them for night shift . . . and they will set me up with a kid. They will hang me out to dry. . . . ‘… there is a culture . . . that staff stick together and they don’t tell management anything and if anybody does they are punished. . . . ‘There is a reluctance to report abuse - a culture of keeping quiet . . . In meetings staff won’t speak up - it’s a full on culture - you’re called a “ stirrer ”, “ Bolshie ”.
. . . I had a couple of workers come to me at various times and say I can’t speak out about what I see someone else doing because I have to work with them for night shift . . . and they will set me up with a kid. They will hang me out to dry. . . . ‘… there is a culture . . . that staff stick together and they don’t tell management anything and if anybody does they are punished. . . . ‘There is a reluctance to report abuse - a culture of keeping quiet . . . In meetings staff won’t speak up - it’s a full on culture - you’re called a “ stirrer ”, “ Bolshie ”.
I had a couple of workers come to me at various times and say I can’t speak out about what I see someone else doing because I have to work with them for night shift . . . and they will set me up with a kid. They will hang me out to dry. . . . ‘… there is a culture . . . that staff stick together and they don’t tell management anything and if anybody does they are punished. . . . ‘There is a reluctance to report abuse - a culture of keeping quiet . . . In meetings staff won’t speak up - it’s a full on culture - you’re called a “ stirrer ”, “ Bolshie ”.
. . . ‘… there is a culture . . . that staff stick together and they don’t tell management anything and if anybody does they are punished. . . . ‘There is a reluctance to report abuse - a culture of keeping quiet . . . In meetings staff won’t speak up - it’s a full on culture - you’re called a “ stirrer ”, “ Bolshie ”.
‘… there is a culture . . . that staff stick together and they don’t tell management anything and if anybody does they are punished. . . . ‘There is a reluctance to report abuse - a culture of keeping quiet . . . In meetings staff won’t speak up - it’s a full on culture - you’re called a “ stirrer ”, “ Bolshie ”.
. . . ‘There is a reluctance to report abuse - a culture of keeping quiet . . . In meetings staff won’t speak up - it’s a full on culture - you’re called a “ stirrer ”, “ Bolshie ”.
‘There is a reluctance to report abuse - a culture of keeping quiet . . . In meetings staff won’t speak up - it’s a full on culture - you’re called a “ stirrer ”, “ Bolshie ”.
(1) Will the minister concede that the culture of the DCD, which was allowed to fester under the former minister, the member for Kenwick, is a major contributing factor to the failures that have occurred in the department? (2) Given the limited powers of the minister’s internal review, will the minister show some genuine leadership on this issue and establish a royal commission? Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN replied: (1)-(2) I thank the member for Nedlands for her question. As the member is well aware, this government has not only introduced a swag of reforms in the area of child protection, but also made sure that people who have grave concerns have the opportunity to raise them. The member needs to be reminded that it was this government that introduced the Public Interest Disclosure Act to ensure that people who wished to raise concerns could raise them and have them investigated appropriately. The former government did not do that. Ms S.E. Walker : What about Jean Thornton? She was bullied under the legislation. Go back and read it. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : The member for Nedlands is the parliamentary example of Vicky Pollard. She says, “Yeah, but no, but yeah, but no, but yeah, but!” That is what the member does. The SPEAKER : Order, members! It is the member for Nedlands’ question but that does not mean she can talk continuously. I call the member to order for the third time. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : That is what the member does, and she has done that for a long time. What happened when the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands in Geraldton? Just because we were in the wonderful Queens Park Theatre, the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands. She was like a one-hit wonder. She was a flop! She was there for the first day and gone again the next. Everyone around town was asking, “Who was that woman?” That is what people were asking me in the coffee shops in Geraldton. When I was sitting in a coffee shop, they asked me, “Who was that woman? She just went off, but she said nothing.” I have made sure that the internal review we are conducting, in which concerns have been raised, is a very vigorous process. The government has also made sure that it has a legislative program behind its approach to child protection. The government has poured $140 million more into tackling the problem, which is a huge amount of money in comparison with the amount that the previous government put in. The member for Nedlands, the parliamentary Vicky Pollard, might say, “Yeah, but no, yeah, but no, yeah, but no”, but this government is doing more than any government has done for child protection, and it will continue to do it.
(2) Given the limited powers of the minister’s internal review, will the minister show some genuine leadership on this issue and establish a royal commission? Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN replied: (1)-(2) I thank the member for Nedlands for her question. As the member is well aware, this government has not only introduced a swag of reforms in the area of child protection, but also made sure that people who have grave concerns have the opportunity to raise them. The member needs to be reminded that it was this government that introduced the Public Interest Disclosure Act to ensure that people who wished to raise concerns could raise them and have them investigated appropriately. The former government did not do that. Ms S.E. Walker : What about Jean Thornton? She was bullied under the legislation. Go back and read it. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : The member for Nedlands is the parliamentary example of Vicky Pollard. She says, “Yeah, but no, but yeah, but no, but yeah, but!” That is what the member does. The SPEAKER : Order, members! It is the member for Nedlands’ question but that does not mean she can talk continuously. I call the member to order for the third time. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : That is what the member does, and she has done that for a long time. What happened when the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands in Geraldton? Just because we were in the wonderful Queens Park Theatre, the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands. She was like a one-hit wonder. She was a flop! She was there for the first day and gone again the next. Everyone around town was asking, “Who was that woman?” That is what people were asking me in the coffee shops in Geraldton. When I was sitting in a coffee shop, they asked me, “Who was that woman? She just went off, but she said nothing.” I have made sure that the internal review we are conducting, in which concerns have been raised, is a very vigorous process. The government has also made sure that it has a legislative program behind its approach to child protection. The government has poured $140 million more into tackling the problem, which is a huge amount of money in comparison with the amount that the previous government put in. The member for Nedlands, the parliamentary Vicky Pollard, might say, “Yeah, but no, yeah, but no, yeah, but no”, but this government is doing more than any government has done for child protection, and it will continue to do it.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN replied: (1)-(2) I thank the member for Nedlands for her question. As the member is well aware, this government has not only introduced a swag of reforms in the area of child protection, but also made sure that people who have grave concerns have the opportunity to raise them. The member needs to be reminded that it was this government that introduced the Public Interest Disclosure Act to ensure that people who wished to raise concerns could raise them and have them investigated appropriately. The former government did not do that. Ms S.E. Walker : What about Jean Thornton? She was bullied under the legislation. Go back and read it. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : The member for Nedlands is the parliamentary example of Vicky Pollard. She says, “Yeah, but no, but yeah, but no, but yeah, but!” That is what the member does. The SPEAKER : Order, members! It is the member for Nedlands’ question but that does not mean she can talk continuously. I call the member to order for the third time. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : That is what the member does, and she has done that for a long time. What happened when the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands in Geraldton? Just because we were in the wonderful Queens Park Theatre, the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands. She was like a one-hit wonder. She was a flop! She was there for the first day and gone again the next. Everyone around town was asking, “Who was that woman?” That is what people were asking me in the coffee shops in Geraldton. When I was sitting in a coffee shop, they asked me, “Who was that woman? She just went off, but she said nothing.” I have made sure that the internal review we are conducting, in which concerns have been raised, is a very vigorous process. The government has also made sure that it has a legislative program behind its approach to child protection. The government has poured $140 million more into tackling the problem, which is a huge amount of money in comparison with the amount that the previous government put in. The member for Nedlands, the parliamentary Vicky Pollard, might say, “Yeah, but no, yeah, but no, yeah, but no”, but this government is doing more than any government has done for child protection, and it will continue to do it.
(1)-(2) I thank the member for Nedlands for her question. As the member is well aware, this government has not only introduced a swag of reforms in the area of child protection, but also made sure that people who have grave concerns have the opportunity to raise them. The member needs to be reminded that it was this government that introduced the Public Interest Disclosure Act to ensure that people who wished to raise concerns could raise them and have them investigated appropriately. The former government did not do that. Ms S.E. Walker : What about Jean Thornton? She was bullied under the legislation. Go back and read it. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : The member for Nedlands is the parliamentary example of Vicky Pollard. She says, “Yeah, but no, but yeah, but no, but yeah, but!” That is what the member does. The SPEAKER : Order, members! It is the member for Nedlands’ question but that does not mean she can talk continuously. I call the member to order for the third time. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : That is what the member does, and she has done that for a long time. What happened when the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands in Geraldton? Just because we were in the wonderful Queens Park Theatre, the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands. She was like a one-hit wonder. She was a flop! She was there for the first day and gone again the next. Everyone around town was asking, “Who was that woman?” That is what people were asking me in the coffee shops in Geraldton. When I was sitting in a coffee shop, they asked me, “Who was that woman? She just went off, but she said nothing.” I have made sure that the internal review we are conducting, in which concerns have been raised, is a very vigorous process. The government has also made sure that it has a legislative program behind its approach to child protection. The government has poured $140 million more into tackling the problem, which is a huge amount of money in comparison with the amount that the previous government put in. The member for Nedlands, the parliamentary Vicky Pollard, might say, “Yeah, but no, yeah, but no, yeah, but no”, but this government is doing more than any government has done for child protection, and it will continue to do it.
Ms S.E. Walker : What about Jean Thornton? She was bullied under the legislation. Go back and read it. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : The member for Nedlands is the parliamentary example of Vicky Pollard. She says, “Yeah, but no, but yeah, but no, but yeah, but!” That is what the member does. The SPEAKER : Order, members! It is the member for Nedlands’ question but that does not mean she can talk continuously. I call the member to order for the third time. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : That is what the member does, and she has done that for a long time. What happened when the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands in Geraldton? Just because we were in the wonderful Queens Park Theatre, the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands. She was like a one-hit wonder. She was a flop! She was there for the first day and gone again the next. Everyone around town was asking, “Who was that woman?” That is what people were asking me in the coffee shops in Geraldton. When I was sitting in a coffee shop, they asked me, “Who was that woman? She just went off, but she said nothing.” I have made sure that the internal review we are conducting, in which concerns have been raised, is a very vigorous process. The government has also made sure that it has a legislative program behind its approach to child protection. The government has poured $140 million more into tackling the problem, which is a huge amount of money in comparison with the amount that the previous government put in. The member for Nedlands, the parliamentary Vicky Pollard, might say, “Yeah, but no, yeah, but no, yeah, but no”, but this government is doing more than any government has done for child protection, and it will continue to do it.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : The member for Nedlands is the parliamentary example of Vicky Pollard. She says, “Yeah, but no, but yeah, but no, but yeah, but!” That is what the member does. The SPEAKER : Order, members! It is the member for Nedlands’ question but that does not mean she can talk continuously. I call the member to order for the third time. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : That is what the member does, and she has done that for a long time. What happened when the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands in Geraldton? Just because we were in the wonderful Queens Park Theatre, the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands. She was like a one-hit wonder. She was a flop! She was there for the first day and gone again the next. Everyone around town was asking, “Who was that woman?” That is what people were asking me in the coffee shops in Geraldton. When I was sitting in a coffee shop, they asked me, “Who was that woman? She just went off, but she said nothing.” I have made sure that the internal review we are conducting, in which concerns have been raised, is a very vigorous process. The government has also made sure that it has a legislative program behind its approach to child protection. The government has poured $140 million more into tackling the problem, which is a huge amount of money in comparison with the amount that the previous government put in. The member for Nedlands, the parliamentary Vicky Pollard, might say, “Yeah, but no, yeah, but no, yeah, but no”, but this government is doing more than any government has done for child protection, and it will continue to do it.
The SPEAKER : Order, members! It is the member for Nedlands’ question but that does not mean she can talk continuously. I call the member to order for the third time. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : That is what the member does, and she has done that for a long time. What happened when the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands in Geraldton? Just because we were in the wonderful Queens Park Theatre, the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands. She was like a one-hit wonder. She was a flop! She was there for the first day and gone again the next. Everyone around town was asking, “Who was that woman?” That is what people were asking me in the coffee shops in Geraldton. When I was sitting in a coffee shop, they asked me, “Who was that woman? She just went off, but she said nothing.” I have made sure that the internal review we are conducting, in which concerns have been raised, is a very vigorous process. The government has also made sure that it has a legislative program behind its approach to child protection. The government has poured $140 million more into tackling the problem, which is a huge amount of money in comparison with the amount that the previous government put in. The member for Nedlands, the parliamentary Vicky Pollard, might say, “Yeah, but no, yeah, but no, yeah, but no”, but this government is doing more than any government has done for child protection, and it will continue to do it.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : That is what the member does, and she has done that for a long time. What happened when the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands in Geraldton? Just because we were in the wonderful Queens Park Theatre, the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands. She was like a one-hit wonder. She was a flop! She was there for the first day and gone again the next. Everyone around town was asking, “Who was that woman?” That is what people were asking me in the coffee shops in Geraldton. When I was sitting in a coffee shop, they asked me, “Who was that woman? She just went off, but she said nothing.” I have made sure that the internal review we are conducting, in which concerns have been raised, is a very vigorous process. The government has also made sure that it has a legislative program behind its approach to child protection. The government has poured $140 million more into tackling the problem, which is a huge amount of money in comparison with the amount that the previous government put in. The member for Nedlands, the parliamentary Vicky Pollard, might say, “Yeah, but no, yeah, but no, yeah, but no”, but this government is doing more than any government has done for child protection, and it will continue to do it.
I have made sure that the internal review we are conducting, in which concerns have been raised, is a very vigorous process. The government has also made sure that it has a legislative program behind its approach to child protection. The government has poured $140 million more into tackling the problem, which is a huge amount of money in comparison with the amount that the previous government put in. The member for Nedlands, the parliamentary Vicky Pollard, might say, “Yeah, but no, yeah, but no, yeah, but no”, but this government is doing more than any government has done for child protection, and it will continue to do it.
. . . The culture also inhibits people telling the truth about incidents. . . . I had a couple of workers come to me at various times and say I can’t speak out about what I see someone else doing because I have to work with them for night shift . . . and they will set me up with a kid. They will hang me out to dry. . . . ‘… there is a culture . . . that staff stick together and they don’t tell management anything and if anybody does they are punished. . . . ‘There is a reluctance to report abuse - a culture of keeping quiet . . . In meetings staff won’t speak up - it’s a full on culture - you’re called a “ stirrer ”, “ Bolshie ”.
The culture also inhibits people telling the truth about incidents. . . . I had a couple of workers come to me at various times and say I can’t speak out about what I see someone else doing because I have to work with them for night shift . . . and they will set me up with a kid. They will hang me out to dry. . . . ‘… there is a culture . . . that staff stick together and they don’t tell management anything and if anybody does they are punished. . . . ‘There is a reluctance to report abuse - a culture of keeping quiet . . . In meetings staff won’t speak up - it’s a full on culture - you’re called a “ stirrer ”, “ Bolshie ”.
. . . I had a couple of workers come to me at various times and say I can’t speak out about what I see someone else doing because I have to work with them for night shift . . . and they will set me up with a kid. They will hang me out to dry. . . . ‘… there is a culture . . . that staff stick together and they don’t tell management anything and if anybody does they are punished. . . . ‘There is a reluctance to report abuse - a culture of keeping quiet . . . In meetings staff won’t speak up - it’s a full on culture - you’re called a “ stirrer ”, “ Bolshie ”.
I had a couple of workers come to me at various times and say I can’t speak out about what I see someone else doing because I have to work with them for night shift . . . and they will set me up with a kid. They will hang me out to dry. . . . ‘… there is a culture . . . that staff stick together and they don’t tell management anything and if anybody does they are punished. . . . ‘There is a reluctance to report abuse - a culture of keeping quiet . . . In meetings staff won’t speak up - it’s a full on culture - you’re called a “ stirrer ”, “ Bolshie ”.
. . . ‘… there is a culture . . . that staff stick together and they don’t tell management anything and if anybody does they are punished. . . . ‘There is a reluctance to report abuse - a culture of keeping quiet . . . In meetings staff won’t speak up - it’s a full on culture - you’re called a “ stirrer ”, “ Bolshie ”.
‘… there is a culture . . . that staff stick together and they don’t tell management anything and if anybody does they are punished. . . . ‘There is a reluctance to report abuse - a culture of keeping quiet . . . In meetings staff won’t speak up - it’s a full on culture - you’re called a “ stirrer ”, “ Bolshie ”.
. . . ‘There is a reluctance to report abuse - a culture of keeping quiet . . . In meetings staff won’t speak up - it’s a full on culture - you’re called a “ stirrer ”, “ Bolshie ”.
‘There is a reluctance to report abuse - a culture of keeping quiet . . . In meetings staff won’t speak up - it’s a full on culture - you’re called a “ stirrer ”, “ Bolshie ”.
(1) Will the minister concede that the culture of the DCD, which was allowed to fester under the former minister, the member for Kenwick, is a major contributing factor to the failures that have occurred in the department? (2) Given the limited powers of the minister’s internal review, will the minister show some genuine leadership on this issue and establish a royal commission? Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN replied: (1)-(2) I thank the member for Nedlands for her question. As the member is well aware, this government has not only introduced a swag of reforms in the area of child protection, but also made sure that people who have grave concerns have the opportunity to raise them. The member needs to be reminded that it was this government that introduced the Public Interest Disclosure Act to ensure that people who wished to raise concerns could raise them and have them investigated appropriately. The former government did not do that. Ms S.E. Walker : What about Jean Thornton? She was bullied under the legislation. Go back and read it. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : The member for Nedlands is the parliamentary example of Vicky Pollard. She says, “Yeah, but no, but yeah, but no, but yeah, but!” That is what the member does. The SPEAKER : Order, members! It is the member for Nedlands’ question but that does not mean she can talk continuously. I call the member to order for the third time. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : That is what the member does, and she has done that for a long time. What happened when the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands in Geraldton? Just because we were in the wonderful Queens Park Theatre, the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands. She was like a one-hit wonder. She was a flop! She was there for the first day and gone again the next. Everyone around town was asking, “Who was that woman?” That is what people were asking me in the coffee shops in Geraldton. When I was sitting in a coffee shop, they asked me, “Who was that woman? She just went off, but she said nothing.” I have made sure that the internal review we are conducting, in which concerns have been raised, is a very vigorous process. The government has also made sure that it has a legislative program behind its approach to child protection. The government has poured $140 million more into tackling the problem, which is a huge amount of money in comparison with the amount that the previous government put in. The member for Nedlands, the parliamentary Vicky Pollard, might say, “Yeah, but no, yeah, but no, yeah, but no”, but this government is doing more than any government has done for child protection, and it will continue to do it.
(2) Given the limited powers of the minister’s internal review, will the minister show some genuine leadership on this issue and establish a royal commission? Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN replied: (1)-(2) I thank the member for Nedlands for her question. As the member is well aware, this government has not only introduced a swag of reforms in the area of child protection, but also made sure that people who have grave concerns have the opportunity to raise them. The member needs to be reminded that it was this government that introduced the Public Interest Disclosure Act to ensure that people who wished to raise concerns could raise them and have them investigated appropriately. The former government did not do that. Ms S.E. Walker : What about Jean Thornton? She was bullied under the legislation. Go back and read it. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : The member for Nedlands is the parliamentary example of Vicky Pollard. She says, “Yeah, but no, but yeah, but no, but yeah, but!” That is what the member does. The SPEAKER : Order, members! It is the member for Nedlands’ question but that does not mean she can talk continuously. I call the member to order for the third time. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : That is what the member does, and she has done that for a long time. What happened when the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands in Geraldton? Just because we were in the wonderful Queens Park Theatre, the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands. She was like a one-hit wonder. She was a flop! She was there for the first day and gone again the next. Everyone around town was asking, “Who was that woman?” That is what people were asking me in the coffee shops in Geraldton. When I was sitting in a coffee shop, they asked me, “Who was that woman? She just went off, but she said nothing.” I have made sure that the internal review we are conducting, in which concerns have been raised, is a very vigorous process. The government has also made sure that it has a legislative program behind its approach to child protection. The government has poured $140 million more into tackling the problem, which is a huge amount of money in comparison with the amount that the previous government put in. The member for Nedlands, the parliamentary Vicky Pollard, might say, “Yeah, but no, yeah, but no, yeah, but no”, but this government is doing more than any government has done for child protection, and it will continue to do it.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN replied: (1)-(2) I thank the member for Nedlands for her question. As the member is well aware, this government has not only introduced a swag of reforms in the area of child protection, but also made sure that people who have grave concerns have the opportunity to raise them. The member needs to be reminded that it was this government that introduced the Public Interest Disclosure Act to ensure that people who wished to raise concerns could raise them and have them investigated appropriately. The former government did not do that. Ms S.E. Walker : What about Jean Thornton? She was bullied under the legislation. Go back and read it. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : The member for Nedlands is the parliamentary example of Vicky Pollard. She says, “Yeah, but no, but yeah, but no, but yeah, but!” That is what the member does. The SPEAKER : Order, members! It is the member for Nedlands’ question but that does not mean she can talk continuously. I call the member to order for the third time. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : That is what the member does, and she has done that for a long time. What happened when the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands in Geraldton? Just because we were in the wonderful Queens Park Theatre, the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands. She was like a one-hit wonder. She was a flop! She was there for the first day and gone again the next. Everyone around town was asking, “Who was that woman?” That is what people were asking me in the coffee shops in Geraldton. When I was sitting in a coffee shop, they asked me, “Who was that woman? She just went off, but she said nothing.” I have made sure that the internal review we are conducting, in which concerns have been raised, is a very vigorous process. The government has also made sure that it has a legislative program behind its approach to child protection. The government has poured $140 million more into tackling the problem, which is a huge amount of money in comparison with the amount that the previous government put in. The member for Nedlands, the parliamentary Vicky Pollard, might say, “Yeah, but no, yeah, but no, yeah, but no”, but this government is doing more than any government has done for child protection, and it will continue to do it.
(1)-(2) I thank the member for Nedlands for her question. As the member is well aware, this government has not only introduced a swag of reforms in the area of child protection, but also made sure that people who have grave concerns have the opportunity to raise them. The member needs to be reminded that it was this government that introduced the Public Interest Disclosure Act to ensure that people who wished to raise concerns could raise them and have them investigated appropriately. The former government did not do that. Ms S.E. Walker : What about Jean Thornton? She was bullied under the legislation. Go back and read it. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : The member for Nedlands is the parliamentary example of Vicky Pollard. She says, “Yeah, but no, but yeah, but no, but yeah, but!” That is what the member does. The SPEAKER : Order, members! It is the member for Nedlands’ question but that does not mean she can talk continuously. I call the member to order for the third time. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : That is what the member does, and she has done that for a long time. What happened when the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands in Geraldton? Just because we were in the wonderful Queens Park Theatre, the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands. She was like a one-hit wonder. She was a flop! She was there for the first day and gone again the next. Everyone around town was asking, “Who was that woman?” That is what people were asking me in the coffee shops in Geraldton. When I was sitting in a coffee shop, they asked me, “Who was that woman? She just went off, but she said nothing.” I have made sure that the internal review we are conducting, in which concerns have been raised, is a very vigorous process. The government has also made sure that it has a legislative program behind its approach to child protection. The government has poured $140 million more into tackling the problem, which is a huge amount of money in comparison with the amount that the previous government put in. The member for Nedlands, the parliamentary Vicky Pollard, might say, “Yeah, but no, yeah, but no, yeah, but no”, but this government is doing more than any government has done for child protection, and it will continue to do it.
Ms S.E. Walker : What about Jean Thornton? She was bullied under the legislation. Go back and read it. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : The member for Nedlands is the parliamentary example of Vicky Pollard. She says, “Yeah, but no, but yeah, but no, but yeah, but!” That is what the member does. The SPEAKER : Order, members! It is the member for Nedlands’ question but that does not mean she can talk continuously. I call the member to order for the third time. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : That is what the member does, and she has done that for a long time. What happened when the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands in Geraldton? Just because we were in the wonderful Queens Park Theatre, the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands. She was like a one-hit wonder. She was a flop! She was there for the first day and gone again the next. Everyone around town was asking, “Who was that woman?” That is what people were asking me in the coffee shops in Geraldton. When I was sitting in a coffee shop, they asked me, “Who was that woman? She just went off, but she said nothing.” I have made sure that the internal review we are conducting, in which concerns have been raised, is a very vigorous process. The government has also made sure that it has a legislative program behind its approach to child protection. The government has poured $140 million more into tackling the problem, which is a huge amount of money in comparison with the amount that the previous government put in. The member for Nedlands, the parliamentary Vicky Pollard, might say, “Yeah, but no, yeah, but no, yeah, but no”, but this government is doing more than any government has done for child protection, and it will continue to do it.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : The member for Nedlands is the parliamentary example of Vicky Pollard. She says, “Yeah, but no, but yeah, but no, but yeah, but!” That is what the member does. The SPEAKER : Order, members! It is the member for Nedlands’ question but that does not mean she can talk continuously. I call the member to order for the third time. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : That is what the member does, and she has done that for a long time. What happened when the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands in Geraldton? Just because we were in the wonderful Queens Park Theatre, the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands. She was like a one-hit wonder. She was a flop! She was there for the first day and gone again the next. Everyone around town was asking, “Who was that woman?” That is what people were asking me in the coffee shops in Geraldton. When I was sitting in a coffee shop, they asked me, “Who was that woman? She just went off, but she said nothing.” I have made sure that the internal review we are conducting, in which concerns have been raised, is a very vigorous process. The government has also made sure that it has a legislative program behind its approach to child protection. The government has poured $140 million more into tackling the problem, which is a huge amount of money in comparison with the amount that the previous government put in. The member for Nedlands, the parliamentary Vicky Pollard, might say, “Yeah, but no, yeah, but no, yeah, but no”, but this government is doing more than any government has done for child protection, and it will continue to do it.
The SPEAKER : Order, members! It is the member for Nedlands’ question but that does not mean she can talk continuously. I call the member to order for the third time. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : That is what the member does, and she has done that for a long time. What happened when the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands in Geraldton? Just because we were in the wonderful Queens Park Theatre, the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands. She was like a one-hit wonder. She was a flop! She was there for the first day and gone again the next. Everyone around town was asking, “Who was that woman?” That is what people were asking me in the coffee shops in Geraldton. When I was sitting in a coffee shop, they asked me, “Who was that woman? She just went off, but she said nothing.” I have made sure that the internal review we are conducting, in which concerns have been raised, is a very vigorous process. The government has also made sure that it has a legislative program behind its approach to child protection. The government has poured $140 million more into tackling the problem, which is a huge amount of money in comparison with the amount that the previous government put in. The member for Nedlands, the parliamentary Vicky Pollard, might say, “Yeah, but no, yeah, but no, yeah, but no”, but this government is doing more than any government has done for child protection, and it will continue to do it.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : That is what the member does, and she has done that for a long time. What happened when the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands in Geraldton? Just because we were in the wonderful Queens Park Theatre, the opposition wheeled out the member for Nedlands. She was like a one-hit wonder. She was a flop! She was there for the first day and gone again the next. Everyone around town was asking, “Who was that woman?” That is what people were asking me in the coffee shops in Geraldton. When I was sitting in a coffee shop, they asked me, “Who was that woman? She just went off, but she said nothing.” I have made sure that the internal review we are conducting, in which concerns have been raised, is a very vigorous process. The government has also made sure that it has a legislative program behind its approach to child protection. The government has poured $140 million more into tackling the problem, which is a huge amount of money in comparison with the amount that the previous government put in. The member for Nedlands, the parliamentary Vicky Pollard, might say, “Yeah, but no, yeah, but no, yeah, but no”, but this government is doing more than any government has done for child protection, and it will continue to do it.
I have made sure that the internal review we are conducting, in which concerns have been raised, is a very vigorous process. The government has also made sure that it has a legislative program behind its approach to child protection. The government has poured $140 million more into tackling the problem, which is a huge amount of money in comparison with the amount that the previous government put in. The member for Nedlands, the parliamentary Vicky Pollard, might say, “Yeah, but no, yeah, but no, yeah, but no”, but this government is doing more than any government has done for child protection, and it will continue to do it.
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