HEALTH AND COMMUNITY SERVICES COMPLAINTS COMMISSIONER

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Ageing, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts) (14:06): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.D. HILL: The position of the Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner was established by the Health and Community Services Complaints Act 2004. The commissioner was tasked with the important role of helping people—patients, carers and workers—to resolve complaints about health and community services, particularly when other complaints procedures have not succeeded or when a direct approach is unreasonable.

The current Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner's seven-year term ends on 30 March 2012, and I would like to thank Leena Sudano for her work as commissioner in establishing this important role. I can today inform the house that Mr Steve Tully has been appointed as the new commissioner for an initial 12-month term while we consult on the best way to structure the office to reduce its administration costs, and increase its accessibility to the public.

Mr Tully is returning to his home state of South Australia after seven years as the Victorian Electoral Commissioner. Mr Tully's work as the Electoral Commissioner in Victoria, and previously in South Australia, where I am sure many members here will have come across him, has called upon his considerable skills in investigation, analysis and negotiation—skills, I am sure he will need to draw upon in this new position. Mr Tully also has previous experience in the South Australian Mental Health Service, including a period as its chief operating officer.

Our intention is now to investigate moving the commissioner in with the office of the Ombudsman, where support and administrative services can be shared, as appropriate, while protecting the independence, authority and integrity of the commissioner's work. By sharing administrative, IT and back office support with the Ombudsman's office, I believe there might be some capacity to increase the public's accessibility to the commissioner's services and allow the commissioner to concentrate on his primary purpose of investigating and, where possible, resolving complaints raised by the public.

Mr Tully will be appointed in an acting capacity for 12 months while consultation on the proposed restructure is undertaken. I have given Mr Tully a personal undertaking that we will seek his advice, once he has been in the job for a period of time, as to which is the best way to go. We would welcome the constructive involvement of all sides of this house and the other place in this process, as well as that of all interested professional and advocacy groups.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!