Mr DUNHAM - 2002-11-27
What actions have you taken to ensure that the Attorney-General’s misguided and potentially tragic approach to Aboriginal customary law will not result in Health staff being bashed and assaulted, as evidenced by the recent case at Nyirripi?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the honourable member for his question. I do not wish to make any comments regarding the Minster for Justice and Attorney-General who, in fact, is an excellent Minister for Justice and Attorney-General, and has made very serious comments in relation to the particular attack at Nyirripi which was extraordinarily appalling. This government has put in place a significant number of steps in relation to violence in communities. I am happy to say that tomorrow the CEOs of Health, Education, Police and Community Development will be meeting to discuss this very issue - not just of violence towards nurses in communities, but towards all public servants in communities.
Violence is something which is completely unacceptable. It never, ever is a form of solution to any kind of problem. This government certainly recognises and, in no way, condones violence in any form. It is very important as well that the government is taking this issue very seriously. As I have mentioned in this House many times before, we have put in place a number of things which are assisting in this very serious area. One of these is a policy and code of practice for management of aggression with a review mechanism to ensure the policy remains dynamic and responds to changing circumstances.
There is a safety audit of all remote area health clinics by the Department of Corporate and Information Services, with an expected completion date of mid-December this year. The findings of this audit will be prioritised and appropriate action undertaken. One thing we do know is that some of the clinics are in a poor state and their occupational safety standards are very low. We are making sure that they are going to be prioritised in terms of that audit so that we can ensure that staff are safe in those places. The procurement and installation of duress alarms in Northern Territory government health centres will be finished by mid-February - a collaborative approach between the departments on the issue of workplace aggression, as I have mentioned before.
In July this year, there was a special meeting of departments, together with senior elders in Nhulunbuy, to foster relationships between government and communities. It was aimed at encouraging communities to play a key role in ensuring the safety of all remote area staff. In relation to the Nyirripi incident, at the moment there is …
Mr Dunham: You better organise a meeting for Nyirripi.
Mr Reed: We have heard all this and nurses are still getting bashed. When are you going to do something?
Ms Martin: You asked the question, listen to the answer.
Mr Reed: We want an answer, that’s the problem.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Members of the opposition. You have asked the question; allow the minister to answer it.
Mr Reed: We want an answer, we don’t want …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Katherine, I have just spoken!
Mrs AAGAARD: In relation to Nyirripi, parliament would probably be interested to know that the community has sent an apology to the nurse concerned and, at the moment, there is a protocol being put in place between the community and the department in relation to what is appropriate behaviour towards health staff in the community; what expectations that community has of the Health Department, and also what expectations the department has of the community. We have also put in place a consultant from that community, working with the community and the department, to ensure that this kind of thing, hopefully, will not happen again.
Recently I was in Alice Springs for the community Cabinet - which I might say was an excellent event. I met with remote area health staff, discussing this very issue. I have to say that those staff indicated that the government was actually doing exactly what they wanted. They did not want us to go in there and put in things like security guards. They felt that the whole situation was about relationships with the community; about how we could better build on those relationships to ensure that staff understood what the situation was in the community. So, one of the things we are looking at as well, is how we need to improve on the cultural awareness programs for communities, and how we further develop those relationships in communities, particularly before staff arrive.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the honourable member for his question. I do not wish to make any comments regarding the Minster for Justice and Attorney-General who, in fact, is an excellent Minister for Justice and Attorney-General, and has made very serious comments in relation to the particular attack at Nyirripi which was extraordinarily appalling. This government has put in place a significant number of steps in relation to violence in communities. I am happy to say that tomorrow the CEOs of Health, Education, Police and Community Development will be meeting to discuss this very issue - not just of violence towards nurses in communities, but towards all public servants in communities.
Violence is something which is completely unacceptable. It never, ever is a form of solution to any kind of problem. This government certainly recognises and, in no way, condones violence in any form. It is very important as well that the government is taking this issue very seriously. As I have mentioned in this House many times before, we have put in place a number of things which are assisting in this very serious area. One of these is a policy and code of practice for management of aggression with a review mechanism to ensure the policy remains dynamic and responds to changing circumstances.
There is a safety audit of all remote area health clinics by the Department of Corporate and Information Services, with an expected completion date of mid-December this year. The findings of this audit will be prioritised and appropriate action undertaken. One thing we do know is that some of the clinics are in a poor state and their occupational safety standards are very low. We are making sure that they are going to be prioritised in terms of that audit so that we can ensure that staff are safe in those places. The procurement and installation of duress alarms in Northern Territory government health centres will be finished by mid-February - a collaborative approach between the departments on the issue of workplace aggression, as I have mentioned before.
In July this year, there was a special meeting of departments, together with senior elders in Nhulunbuy, to foster relationships between government and communities. It was aimed at encouraging communities to play a key role in ensuring the safety of all remote area staff. In relation to the Nyirripi incident, at the moment there is …
Mr Dunham: You better organise a meeting for Nyirripi.
Mr Reed: We have heard all this and nurses are still getting bashed. When are you going to do something?
Ms Martin: You asked the question, listen to the answer.
Mr Reed: We want an answer, that’s the problem.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Members of the opposition. You have asked the question; allow the minister to answer it.
Mr Reed: We want an answer, we don’t want …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Katherine, I have just spoken!
Mrs AAGAARD: In relation to Nyirripi, parliament would probably be interested to know that the community has sent an apology to the nurse concerned and, at the moment, there is a protocol being put in place between the community and the department in relation to what is appropriate behaviour towards health staff in the community; what expectations that community has of the Health Department, and also what expectations the department has of the community. We have also put in place a consultant from that community, working with the community and the department, to ensure that this kind of thing, hopefully, will not happen again.
Recently I was in Alice Springs for the community Cabinet - which I might say was an excellent event. I met with remote area health staff, discussing this very issue. I have to say that those staff indicated that the government was actually doing exactly what they wanted. They did not want us to go in there and put in things like security guards. They felt that the whole situation was about relationships with the community; about how we could better build on those relationships to ensure that staff understood what the situation was in the community. So, one of the things we are looking at as well, is how we need to improve on the cultural awareness programs for communities, and how we further develop those relationships in communities, particularly before staff arrive.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016