Great Protection for Whistleblowers

There is legislation to protect whistleblowers in the ACT, the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1994. It was heavily criticised in a recent paper out of Griffith University by Dr AJ Brown.

On a quick reading, I can see why. It’s not effective in the same way as classic whistleblowing legislation that protects only those inside the tent. It’s too complex to work out who is, and what actions are, on which side of in and out. It is almost silent on the great sleeping cane toad of whistleblower legislation – which is how you stop it from being abused by public servants who are trying to stop a disciplinary or whatever process. The government was going to do something about it, I thought.

If this story is true, and this nurse has been sacked over voicing an opinion about safe practices at the hospital, that is pretty bad.

Nurses are in short supply in Canberra as it is.

Crazy is as crazy does.

Canberra will be a safer place tonight, if Jazz opens up the submit story function and keeps CC off the streets.

i was almost willing to read your blog until you said “LOL”.

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Oh and you must have begun to realize there’s a reason they’re not game to censor me. That, after all, was part of the purpose of the exercise.

Well I’ve just finished my take on this and last night’s Four Corners story at you know where. LOL

ccraven.blogspot.com

I wouldn’t hold my breath on the HRCg. Come on Riot Act. If you really don’t have vested interests like everybody else in this town, you have a real role to play in assisting local whistleblowers. And we need all the help we can get.

Given all you have to do in the first place is check the facts, there’s really no excuse.