Johnston: Rockliff is Running from Scrutiny

Transcript of media conference with Kristie Johnston MHA, independent Member for Clark, Parliament Lawns, Hobart, 15 February 2024.

Editor’s note 25 March 2024: the original version of this verbatim transcript was amended on 19 February to remove, at the request of Jenny Gale, a remark made by journalist Josh Duggan in the course of prefacing a question. She found that remark offensive.

Tasmanian Times does not endorse the statement, just as we do not endorse any questions and answers in any media conference. We simply report what was said.

As a matter of courtesy to Jenny Gale we accepted her request to remove the remark on the same day her concerns were communicated to us. Prior that edit being made, the original version was online for 4 days and had registered 171 views on the hit counter.

It is quite common for media conferences these days to go to air live in some form of broadcast. It is not feasible to legally vet the questions of journalists, nor would we accept that is in the public interest to do so, whether the event is live or not.

We note that since this media conference was held, Jenny Gale has not come forward and held a media conference of her own. If so we would have gone and given it the same fair treatment that was given to the media conference reproduced below.

We remain willing to receive and publish any statement of hers about the matters of concern discussed below.

Kristie Johnston

Yesterday as Deputy Chair Provision of information to the Commission of Inquiry Scrutiny Committee, I had the unfortunate task to inform the public that the committee’s work had to be disbanded due to the election. This is deeply disappointing, absolutely frustrating, but sadly, not unexpected and not surprising, given the fact that this government has avoided scrutiny and accountability, particularly when it comes to Commission of Inquiry at all points in the timeline.

We have as a committee tried over a couple of months now to call two key witnesses the Premier and Ms Gale as Department Secretary before the committee to explain some anomalies in the evidence they gave to us in December. Both Mr. Rockliff the Premier and Ms Gale have been unavailable for a number of optional hearing dates, it is deeply disappointing. It says to me that the Premier wants to call an election to avoid scrutiny and to avoid him to ask answer difficult questions in from the Parliament.

Journalist – Adam Langenberg

So let’s talk about the Commission of Inquiry. Where were you at in terms of the Committee and [inaudible]?

Kristie Johnston

So in December, the Parliament agreed to set up a Provision of Information Commission of Inquiry Scrutiny Committee, we had to recall Premier Rockcliff and Ms Gale before the committee to get them to answer the questions about their evidence to that Committee in December, which seemed to contradict the evidence of Ms Gina Webster. Now, it’s very important for victim survivors and the community at large that we’ve got some clarity around those with that information particularly around who knew what about child sexual offences within government institutions.

The Premier’s evidence and Ms Gale’s evidence was not clear. And it was certainly contradicted only a day later by Ms Gina Webster. The victim survivors and the community deserve answers on this. The Premier knew at that point in December, that it was likely he and Ms Gale would have to be appear before the committee in January. But when options were put forward to the Premier and Ms Gale about dates for the hearing, they simply were unavailable and that continued to occur right up until yesterday.

Journalist – Josh Duggan

Jenny Gale has [redacted]. And has avoided this scrutiny. What do you make of her staying in that role?

Kristie Johnston

Look, it is disturbing and victims survivors have rightly voiced her concerns and rightly want her to appear before the committee to answer difficult questions about what did she know and when does she know this. These are questions that Tasmanians must know. The Commission of Inquiry Report is deeply disturbing.

What it uncovers is that many people knew that there was child sexual abuse occurring in government institutions and simply turned a blind eye. Now as the head of the Public Service, and as the Premier, they must answer for those actions of others below them. And they certainly didn’t do that at the December hearing. And they quite frankly, refused to appear before the Commission of Inquiry Scrutiny Committee Provision of Information committee this January and February.

Journalist – Josh Duggan

Jenny Gale’s brother is a convicted child sexual offender. While that happened she was working with the Department of Education. That knowledge never came to the Commission of Inquiry. Does that feel like a pretty big piece of information as well that she should have given up at some point in time?

Kristie Johnston

Look, certainly. There would have been an opportunity had Ms Gale appear before the committee to ask those important questions about what she knew about who and when. Those are questions that victim survivors and the community want to know the answer to and indeed, the Parliament wanted to know the answer to what we are seeing, though, is that the Premier has protected his head of Public Service, but he’s also protected his government. And that lack of accountability, integrity, when it particularly comes to dealing with the Commission of Inquiry and the most serious of findings is deeply disturbing.

Journalist – Adam Langenberg

There’s a chance Jenny Gale remains in that role post the election. It might be a four or five month delay before she could appear, can you tell us why that delay is such a bad thing?

Kristie Johnston

The delay is deeply disturbing to those victims survivors who’ve already been through the most traumatic experience themselves, not only the child sexual abuse, but also the Commission of Inquiry hearings and conduct and then the government’s failure in their response to the Commission of Inquiry. They simply want answers and they want closure. The fact that we will now have to wait to a new parliament to be formed, a new parliament to agree to recall this committee and to recall the Premier and Ms Gale if she’s in that position is deeply disturbing. What we also know is that from the Commission of Inquiry Report that a number of people who ought to be held accountable have since left the Public Service and are no longer touchable from the government and that is deeply concerning to members of the public and victim survivors, that they have somehow avoided scrutiny and accountability.

Journalist – Josh Duggan

What do you make of the Premier’s election timing here, does this have anything to do with the fact that he’s going to the polls?

Kristie Johnston

People in the community are very cynical about the election timing. They know that the Premier is facing some serious scrutiny in Parliament. For instance, the committee as well that was due to appear today, this afternoon and this morning, to hear that evidence. Simply they don’t believe his excuses for going to the polls. What they do know though is the Premier will avoid accountability. And he lacks integrity when it comes to answering the important questions the community deserves to have answers to.

Journalist – Imogen Elliott

Would you say there’s a pattern [inaudible]?

Kristie Johnston

The community are constantly telling me that they are deeply cynical when it comes to integrity in government, and particularly this Rockliff government; they have seen him avoid scrutiny at every point and turn. And certainly they know that this election is to avoid going back into Parliament and to answer difficult questions about the Commission of Inquiry, the racing industry, a whole range of things. And indeed, the latest on the stadium.

Journalist – Josh Duggan

The Premier has made his terms clear if anyone could potentially negotiate with after the election, if a minority government is what people have decided on. Would you be willing to look at either party and lend support to help them form government?

Kristie Johnston

My position has always been very clear: I don’t do deals. I look at each issue on its merits. And I make sure that the community are put first in whatever decision making process that I have. I’m not beholden to a party. I’m not beholden to political donors, for instance, I don’t accept donations. So each issue will be decided in consultation with the community that I represent, and for what’s best for that community.

So I don’t do deals, but I am willing to look at every particular issue and work with whoever has a good idea and speak out and clearly say when there’s a bad idea on the table. Because look, I think what the community is realising is that the party politics is failing them, that the two party system is simply not working to represent them. And I suspect we’ll see more and more independents announcing they’ll run this election in recognition of what the community is saying. So I think we’ll see that there’ll be a large field of independents right across the state.

Journalist – Adam Langenberg

There’s a fair bit of commentary about your advocacy in Parliament is similar to the issues that the Greens speak out about as well, why continue to vote for you and not another Greens’ candidate?

Kristie Johnston

I’m not beholden to a party or a party line and platform, I will look at each issue on its merits. So there are occasions where I have voted with the Greens or occasions where I’ve voted with Labor and indeed, occasions where I’ve voted with the Liberal government, because on each particular issue. Now, it’s no surprise that I am a progressive independent, and therefore I speak out on social justice issues. I’m concerned about the environment. I’m obviously concerned about animal welfare. They are not issues that are exclusive to the Greens, they’re not issues exclusive to any party, because that’s what the community are concerned about. And that’s why they elect independents.

Tasmanian Times

The premier has now admitted that the $750 million price tag on the stadium is likely to blow out. How do you view that news? And how would you rank the stadium issue among the concerns of voters in your electorate?

Kristie Johnston

It seems that with the Premier it has only just dawned on him what Tasmanians had known for a long time, that his price tag on the stadium is unrealistic and has always been unrealistic. I think the stadium will be a key issue in this election because it’s about what are the priorities in the community. When we have a health crisis, when we hear about ambulance ramping that are causing deaths, and we have so many people facing homelessness and experiencing homelessness. We have critical issues in animal welfare, in racing. They’re the issues that people really care about.

When we have failing local infrastructure, particularly around sporting and community infrastructure. Alone in my community in Glenorchy people are crying out for a new pool, but they can’t seem to get $50 million for a local community facility and sporting and recreational facility. So that will be an issue about whether it’s a priority for this particular state to spend such a large amount on one particular sport.

Tasmanian Times

You’ve long been an advocate for the northern suburbs light rail. Is this election an opportunity to get that back on the table?

Kristie Johnston

Again, it’s all about what are the priorities and the community, the community are talking about those key infrastructure issues. Do we have the right road and transport infrastructure? Do we have the right have the right health infrastructure. We desperately need more houses. So again, those kinds of issues will really resonate I think in the community.

Journalist – unidentified

[inaudible]

Kristie Johnston

Schools went back in the last couple of weeks and we’re again experiencing the city coming to complete and utter gridlock. Again, it indicates a failure of this particular Liberal government over the last 10 years to do anything decent about public transport. They have made a schemozzle of Metro, it’s an absolute joke as a public transport system, and they’ve missed lots of opportunities to invest in better and integrated public transport opportunities, particularly through the City Deal and the northern suburbs rail corridor.