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  <name>Legislative Council</name>
  <date date="2020-10-15" />
  <sessionName>Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)</sessionName>
  <parliamentNum>54</parliamentNum>
  <sessionNum>2</sessionNum>
  <parliamentName>Parliament of South Australia</parliamentName>
  <house>Legislative Council</house>
  <venue></venue>
  <reviewStage>published</reviewStage>
  <startPage num="1953" />
  <endPage num="2036" />
  <dateModified time="2022-08-06T14:30:00+00:00" />
  <proceeding continued="true">
    <name>Question Time</name>
    <subject>
      <name>Visvanathan, Prof. R.</name>
      <text id="2020101517f83d392f1145f7a0000453">
        <heading>Visvanathan, Prof. R.</heading>
      </text>
      <talker role="member" id="5418" kind="question">
        <name>The Hon. C. BONAROS</name>
        <house>Legislative Council</house>
        <questions>
          <question date="2020-10-15">
            <name>Visvanathan, Prof. R.</name>
          </question>
        </questions>
        <startTime time="2020-10-15T15:00:10" />
        <text id="2020101517f83d392f1145f7a0000454">
          <timeStamp time="2020-10-15T15:00:10" />
          <by role="member" id="5418">The Hon. C. BONAROS (15:00):</by>  I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Health and Wellbeing a question about Professor Renuka Visvanathan.</text>
        <text id="2020101517f83d392f1145f7a0000455">Leave granted.</text>
      </talker>
      <talker role="member" id="5418" kind="question" continued="true">
        <name>The Hon. C. BONAROS</name>
        <house>Legislative Council</house>
        <text id="2020101517f83d392f1145f7a0000456">
          <by role="member" id="5418">The Hon. C. BONAROS:</by>  The South Australian Employment Tribunal recently awarded highly respected physician Professor Visvanathan $115,000 after it ruled she was subject to discrimination and bullying at work between March 2014 and January 2018. This included a former Adelaide health bureaucrat repeatedly bullying the professor, turning colleagues against her and, when she complained, ensuring she was overlooked for a promotion despite being the only qualified applicant.</text>
        <text id="2020101517f83d392f1145f7a0000457">The tribunal president, Stephen Lieschke, ruled that Dr Visvanathan should have been appointed to that particular role that I referred to because she was the only eligible candidate; however, another doctor was awarded the position over her in March 2015. That appointment was set aside after she made complaints about the selection process and the role was eventually cancelled in early 2016. My questions to the minister in relation to the tribunal's decision are:</text>
        <text id="2020101517f83d392f1145f7a0000458">1.&amp;#x9;How much money has SA Health and CALHN spent over the past three years on legal fees fighting Professor Visvanathan in court?</text>
        <text id="2020101517f83d392f1145f7a0000459">2.&amp;#x9;What are the grounds for the appeal that is pending?</text>
        <text id="2020101517f83d392f1145f7a0000460">3.&amp;#x9;Have you received written advice from the Crown Solicitor's Office in relation to the prospects of success in the case?</text>
        <text id="2020101517f83d392f1145f7a0000461">4.&amp;#x9;What is the budget for the pending appeal?</text>
      </talker>
      <talker role="member" id="3164" kind="answer">
        <name>The Hon. S.G. WADE</name>
        <house>Legislative Council</house>
        <portfolios>
          <portfolio id="">
            <name>Minister for Health and Wellbeing</name>
          </portfolio>
        </portfolios>
        <startTime time="2020-10-15T15:01:59" />
        <text id="2020101517f83d392f1145f7a0000462">
          <timeStamp time="2020-10-15T15:01:59" />
          <by role="member" id="3164">The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:01):</by>  The honourable member in her own question is highlighting the reason why I can't respond in detail. Following advice from counsel, which included representations from the Crown Solicitor's Office, an appeal has been lodged in this matter and in that context it would be inappropriate for me to comment.</text>
      </talker>
    </subject>
  </proceeding>
</hansard>