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House of Assembly Thursday 25 March 2021

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House of Assembly Thursday 25 March 2021 PARLIAMENT OF TASMANIA HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY REPORT OF DEBATES Thursday 25 March 2021 REVISED EDITION Thursday 25 March 2020 The Speaker, Ms Hickey, took the Chair at 10 a.m., acknowledged the Traditional People and read Prayers. QUESTIONS Brittany Higgins - Comments made by Senator Eric Abetz - Premier's Position Ms WHITE to PREMIER, Mr GUTWEIN [10.00 a.m.] In your Address last week, you told Tasmanian women and I quote: 'I see you, I hear you'. Do you believe women when they make allegations of bad behaviour by men? Who are you choosing to believe in the matter raised with you weeks ago by the Speaker, and again yesterday in this parliament, the independent member for Clark, Sue Hickey, or Senator Eric Abetz? ANSWER Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for that question. I stand by what I said regarding those who rallied around the country. There is a paradigm shift that is occurring in this country, a paradigm shift that is long overdue. Obviously, the Speaker feels very strongly about the conversation that she had with Senator Abetz. Likewise, he has made a very strong statement of denial; in fact, categorically denying that he said those things. A few weeks ago, I make the point, that if the Speaker had raised with me a complaint as a Liberal party member we had a process that could have been entered into for those two Liberal party members to air their grievances and for these matters to be heard. As of this week, that process does not exist, which is why I have referred the matter to the Prime Minister, as this is a matter that involves a federal member of the federal parliament, and a matter that involves the federal parliament. As I said, Madam Speaker, you obviously have strong feelings on this, and Senator Abetz has made his position very clear as well. If this matter is to go forward, in any way, shape, or form then it is a matter for the federal parliament, not this parliament. Brittany Higgins - Comments made by Senator Eric Abetz - Premier's Position Ms WHITE to PREMIER, Mr GUTWEIN [10.04 a.m.] You say you have written to the Prime Minister in relation to serious allegations about the Liberal Senator for Tasmania Eric Abetz, and the sickening comments that he made in relation to the rape of Brittany Higgins in a Liberal minister's office in Canberra, and in relation to the rape allegations against Christian Porter. What exactly is it that you have asked the Prime Minister to do? 1 Thursday 25 March 2021 ANSWER Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for that question. Again, I make the point about the allegations that have been made that they have been vehemently denied by Senator Abetz - categorically denied. However, as we witnessed yesterday, the Speaker feels very strongly about her position on those matters. I have written to the Prime Minister. I have attached the transcripts of yesterday's proceedings and I have attached a copy of Senator Abetz's statement. What I have said to the Prime Minister is that he takes any action that he considers appropriate given that the allegations made relate to a member of the federal parliament. Ashley Youth Detention Centre - Allegations of Abuse Ms O'CONNOR to MINISTER for HUMAN SERVICES, Mr JAENSCH [10.05 a.m.] Can you confirm that in January 2020, management of Ashley Youth Detention Centre was made aware of potential historical rape allegation involving a young adolescent and a member of staff? We also understand the same individual, that staff member, was known to have masturbated in front of children detained at the centre. Can you also confirm that that staff member was not stood down until November 2020 when the incident was aired on the Nurse Podcast; that is, 10 months after the historical rape allegation was brought to management's attention? Further, will you tell the House when the staff member was referred to police for investigation and when his Working with Vulnerable People registration was cancelled? ANSWER Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Greens for her question. These are very serious and concerning matters that she is alluding to. I reiterate that our Government is committed to responding appropriately to all and any allegations of abuse in our Government institutions, whether they relate to historical or current day matters. In fact, my department advises me that the processes they have established are set up to deal with any allegations as if they are current. Their first priority is to make an assessment as to whether there is any risk to any young person in Ashley. That is their first concern at all times. With regard to the other matters that Ms O'Connor raised, I will need to take advice as to which case that may be referring to. There are little pieces of information that Ms O'Conner, brings in here and I want to be very sure that I know the substance of those cases, not just the information that Ms O'Connor chooses to share with us. We take this very seriously. It is very important as with any cases involving young people and their wellbeing that anyone in possession of information regarding the safety and wellbeing of young people has an obligation under legislation to report it to the secretary, the guardian, the police as soon as possible. 2 Thursday 25 March 2021 In the last question time of last year, Ms O'Connor brought some information and shared it in a question to me in this place, along similar lines. After that question time I asked Ms O'Connor to please forward us the information she had. She did and it showed that she had been sitting on that information for two weeks. It showed that she had been provided with that information two weeks prior. Members interjecting. Ms O'CONNOR - Point of order, Madam Speaker, going to relevance. We cannot let the minister get away with this. This is information that the department already had once we forwarded it. What we would like to know is, if the minister is going to come back to the House with information about this very serious allegation. Will it be today? Madam SPEAKER - That is not a point of order. It is a second question, but I am sure the minister heard your question. Mr JAENSCH - Madam Speaker, my experience is that when a member comes in here and shares small bits of anonymous information in this place, the best path of action for me to take is to go back and seek advice from my department to ensure we know which cases and to get advice as to how those cases are dealt with. The other thing is that where there are investigations under way and where those matters have been referred to police or other investigations, or are being referred to the commission of inquiry process, there are limitations, as we have discussed here before, on what I can report on and share here. I will examine the information included in Ms O'Connor's question and ask her here to please forward all information she has to the secretary of my department as soon as possible. Ms O'Connor - I've given you the information that we have. Mr JAENSCH - I hope she has provided information as soon as she has been in possession of it because we take these cases very seriously and we want to investigate them thoroughly. Brittany Higgins - Comments made by Senator Eric Abetz - Premier's Position Ms WHITE to PREMIER, Mr GUTWEIN [10.11 a.m.] Just two hours ago the Prime Minister indicated to Sabra Lane on the ABC's AM program that he believed Senator Abetz rather than the former Liberal member for Clark, Ms Hickey, in relation to the Senator's disgusting comments over the Brittany Higgins case. He made it clear that no further action would be taken. Are you satisfied with the Prime Minister's response and will you table the letter that you wrote to Prime Minister Scott Morrison? ANSWER Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for that question. I do not have a great deal more I can add to this. Ms Hickey has made her position perfectly clear. Senator Abetz has made his position perfectly clear. I will say that Senator Abetz has been a 3 Thursday 25 March 2021 longstanding servant of Tasmania and I was not a party to that conversation and cannot act as judge, jury or executioner on this matter. I make this point: Ms Hickey has made her position perfectly clear and we could see yesterday that it was difficult for her. In terms of Senator Abetz, he has made his position perfectly clear. As I have indicated, there was a process that three weeks ago this could have entered into should I have received a complaint, but I did not and in fact, the - Members interjecting. Mr GUTWEIN - In terms of that process - and I will be clear - as I explained before, there is a complaints process for Liberal Party members to have grievances heard. That is no longer available. Senator Abetz is a member of the federal parliament and it was in relation to matters relating to the federal parliament, so I believe it is quite appropriate that I have referred the matter to the Prime Minister. Should Ms Hickey, the member for Clark, want to pursue these matters, there is now a process where she can engage with the Prime Minister on this.
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