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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-02-05 Daily Xml
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WORKCOVER CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:30): I seek leave to make a brief explanation prior to directing a question to the minister representing the minister for WorkCover on the subject of WorkCover.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: On 18 September, WorkCover announced that the former CEO, Mr Thomson, had resigned immediately for personal reasons after serving just over two years of his contract. On 28 September, the Liberal Party submitted under freedom of information laws a copy of any letter sent to either then minister Snelling or the chairman of the WorkCover board expressing concerns about the behaviour or actions of the CEO. WorkCover's response confirmed that there had been a letter expressing concerns about the behaviour or actions of the CEO. They refused to release it under clause 6(2) of the Freedom of Information Act, which states:

A document is an exempt document if it contains allegations or suggestions of criminal or other improper conduct on the part of a person (living or dead) the truth of which has not been established by judicial process and the disclosure of which would be unreasonable.

The clear inference from WorkCover's response to the freedom of information request is that (a) there was a letter and (b) the letter not only expresses concerns but contains allegations or suggestions of criminal or other improper conduct on the part of a person, living or dead.

More than four months later, neither minister Snelling's office or Mr Snelling have responded to the freedom of information request as to whether or not he had received a letter of concern about the behaviour or actions of the former CEO of WorkCover.

On the last sitting week of November (29 November), I put some questions to the minister in relation to the release of a contract of the former CEO, Mr Thomson. To this stage, there has been no response to that question either. My questions to the minister representing the minister for WorkCover are:

1. When will the minister's office respond to the freedom of information request, which is now over four months in duration, in relation to whether a copy of a letter expressing concern about the behaviour or actions of the former CEO had been received?

2. When will the minister respond to the questions put almost two months ago in this chamber in relation to compliance with government policy on the release of government contracts of the former WorkCover CEO?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (15:33): I thank the honourable member for his question and will refer it to the appropriate minister in another place and bring back a response.

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