Whistleblowers Tasmania yesterday wrote to Corrections Minister Nick McKim calling on him to exercise his powers as a Minister endorsing former prisons boss Barry Greenberry’s call for a fully empowered Tasmanian Integrity Commission inquiry into serious allegations about misconduct and corruption within the Department of Justice.
Department of Justice documents released to Mr Greenberry indicated collusion between Departmental staff to orchestrate the removal of Barry Greenberry as Tasmania’s Prisons Director. These explosive documents were cited by ABC’s 7.30 Tasmania program and in The Weekend Australian.
“Minister McKim was aware of the sequence of events that led to the premeditated removal of Barry Greenberry from his role as Prisons Director” said Isla MacGregor.
“Mr Greenberry alerted his Minister about these matters in emails.
“What has happened to Barry Greenberry is a test case for the Greens in coalition Government.
Minister McKim in a Budget Estimates hearing on 4th June 2013 invited the parliamentary committee to be briefed on the matter in secret.
Mr McKim: “If the committee is able and has a view that it wishes to resolve in camera, I will be happy to have further information about this placed on the record”.
“Although the Corrections portfolio may have been a poisoned chalice for Australia’s first Green Minister, what has happened to the Tasmanian Greens’ commitment to Government accountability and transparency?
“Whistleblowers Tasmania has called on Minister McKim to fully support the need for the Tasmanian Integrity Commission to investigate these serious allegations.
“Mr Greenberry is to be congratulated for persevering with his pursuit of natural justice and a proper investigation of very serious allegations of misconduct and corruption within the Department of Justice.
“Of course the State Government should fund Mr Greenberry’s return to Tasmania to give evidence to the Integrity Commission and before the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee “. said Isla MacGregor.
Isla MacGregor, Whistleblowers Tasmania
