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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-04-09 Daily Xml
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Government Apologies

In reply to the Hon. F. PANGALLO ().22 February 2024).

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector): The Minister for Child Protection has advised:

1. Mr Meekins was provided with the first draft version of the written response on 8 March 2023. There were extensive discussions in relation to the content of the letter. A letter considered by the Department for Child Protection to be the final written apology letter has been signed and available to Mr Meekins since September 2023. A number of additional words in relation to the existing content were included in February 2024 and the letter was resigned.

The letter meets the department's obligations under the National Redress Scheme and contains an apology for the child sexual abuse suffered by Mr Meekins, for which the department was found responsible.

2. All survivors who are engaged in a direct personal response (DPR) process with a government agency choose how they wish to engage with the process. Survivors can choose to engage directly with the department at any point in the DPR process.

In this matter, the executive with responsibility for the DPR process, returned Mr Meekins' call after he left a message requesting that his call be responded to directly.

3. The government acknowledges the importance of survivors receiving a DPR in a timely manner. Where a face-to-face DPR takes place, the Department for Child Protection endeavors to provide survivors who also seek a written response, with an apology letter within three weeks of the completion of the face-to-face DPR.

Mr Meekins' face-to-face DPR took place on 17 February 2023. He was provided with the first draft version of the written response on 8 March 2023. There were extensive discussions in relation to the content of the letter. A letter considered by the department to be the final written DPR letter has been signed and is available to Mr Meekins.

4. The department has offered to convene a meeting for the purpose of providing Mr Meekins with the signed letter.

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