Working Class Whistler
Working Class Whistler
A new LNP Government is formed on 24 March 2012
A new LNP Government is formed on 24 March 2012
I believed the new Government would be incensed with the impunity provided
to Queensland Health
I believed the new Government would be incensed with the impunity provided
to Queensland Health
Mr Jeff Seeney became Deputy Premier Mr L Springborg the Minister for Health.
Deputy Premier
Deputy Premier
Minister for Health
Minister for Health
On 5 October 2012 I wrote to Mr Seeney, hoping new blood in the Government would bring about changes; review the cover-up and establish an independent watchdog.
“… the enclosed documents…will give you some understanding as to the lengths the previous Labor Government went to protect Queensland Health (QH) from ever having to account for any one of the 26 items of concern raised by the QLD Ombudsman…Ms Mason had lied to me in her letter dated 25 May 1998 which stated that, following her enquiries with the Department of WPHS regarding my footwear requirements due to my disabilities, I was required to make alternative footwear arrangements in the workplace…Ms Mason confirmed to the Commissioner that she had not had any communication with the Department of WPHS regarding my footwear requirements due to my disability until she finally spoke to Mr C Gherhard on 23 June 1998, which was after I resigned due to the incapacity her erroneous directive caused, she was not asked to explain why she lied to me in her letter dated 25 May 1998…For 12 years that lie, and the fact that Ms Clench had instigated it, has been successfully negated and deeply buried by the Queensland Health bureaucracy…The lack of a valid investigation into the evidence confirming the discrimination, and the continuing refusal of QH to account for the concerns raised by the Ombudsman with the Director-General, has enabled the organization of Queensland Health to protect and maintain their long kept secret that, without any involvement from the Department of WPHS, and on the sole encouragement of Ms Clench, Ms Mason decided to render me too incapacitated to work by issuing me with a false directive, in her letter dated 25 May 1998 which, both she and Ms Clench knew, was physically impossible for me to obey. The entrenched culture of secrecy discovered by the Bundaberg Royal Commission still exists within the Queensland Health establishment. I would very much appreciate it please if you would provide me with a response and if you would initiate an honest review of the issues I have raised, which is independent of the Queensland Health Administration.”
The response received was promising:
The Office of the Minister for Health responded:
Without word from the Minister for Health, three months later I followed up:
Mr Springborg still did not respond so, again, I requested assistance from the Deputy Premier:
The Deputy Premier refused to follow up his referral, made to the Minister for Health in November 2012, or provide the particulars of the independent watchdog:
Nothing had changed since Labor had been ousted.The Queensland Health and Queensland Government "merry-go-round" remained intact!
The Health Minister finally responded:
Disappointing as it was, that there was not to be an independent investigation, I accepted the Minister's invitation; requesting Ms Stephens provide a review:
It came as no surprise when Ms Stephens, a Queensland Health administrator, refused to assist!
Ms Stephens reaction exactly identified with that of Ms J Virine, of the Workplace Investigations Unit in 2006, in response to the referral made by the then Minister for Health, Mr S Robertson!
I tried again to gain that assistance:
Without a response I tried again.
No Response.
No Response.
Five weeks passed without a response!
Mr Seeney clearly wasn't concerned about addressing the conflict of interest:
A further month passed without any response from Queensland Health.
Another email to Mr Seeney would render the most bizarre response!
Mr Seeney must surely have known how preposterous his response was, and that it could only serve to offer Queensland Health, whom he was well aware was refusing to respond, continued impunity!
Clearly Mr Seeney was aware Mr Springborg hadn't provided the promised response, stated on 2 September in his email to me, and would surely have realized any further advice, from Mr Springborg to that effect, was questionable.
I again requested the particulars of an independent watchdog:
Perhaps Mr Seeney ignored my numerous requests for an independent watchdog because he knew no such body existed!
Knowing both Mr Seeney and Mr Springborg were on the same page as the Labor Government when it came to protecting Queensland Health, I wasn't holding my breath expecting a response from Mr Springborg when I wrote again:
Queensland Health were not about to respond to the 26 items of concern they had buried.
No surprise; I could have told Mr Seeney that Mr Springborg was never going to respond but, of course, he already knew that!
When I phoned the Office of the Premier I was advised I would be sent a letter regarding the Public Disclosure Act:
Following the advice from the Premier I decided to submit my PID to Mr J Seeney, who would be bound by the PID Act to respond:
Once a disclosure has been made, an entity must provide the discloser with confirmation of the receipt of the PID/ describe the action taken or proposed to be taken in respect of the PID; or if the entity believes no action is required, the reasons for this decision/ if action has been taken in relation to the PID, inform the discloser of the results.
My PID was not responded to!
Three months later I asked for Mr Seeney's accomodation.
My requests for transparency and my PID were completely ignored. The LNP government proved equally determined to maintain the Queensland Health secrecy culture as was the previous Labor Government.
An election on 31 January 2015 saw the LNP government replaced with another Labor government.
During three years of power the ruling LNP Government failed to fulfill the broken promise of the previous ALP government; to instill transparency within Queensland Health.
The Queensland Health endemic culture of secrecy, discovered during the Bundaberg inquiry in 2005, remained intact and fully protected by its full license to self-investigate!