From pp 175-176 of the Senate Hansard for Tuesday 10 May 2005, available at:
http://www.aph.gov.au/hansard/senate...s/ds100505.pdf
Civil Aviation Safety Authority
(Question No. 357)
Senator Mark Bishop asked the Minister representing the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, upon notice, on 23 February 2005:
(1) Would the Minister provide a list of activities that may be reported under the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s (CASA) protected disclosure policy.
(2) How many reports by activity type have been lodged since the inception of the protected disclosure policy.
(3) What is the process by which STOPline was selected for its role in the protected disclosure policy.
(4) Who made the final decision to engage STOPline.
(5) What is the annual amount to be paid to STOPline for its role in the protected disclosure policy.
(6) When did STOPline’s contract commence and when is it due to finish.
(7) Would the Minister confirm that STOPline regularly monitors CASA’s actions in dealing with disclosures and that reports are provided to CASA’s Audit and Risk Committee.
(8) Does the Minister receive a copy of these reports; if so, how often are the reports provided.
(9) Can these reports be made available to the Senate; if not, why not.
(10) Would the Minister provide the dates, numbers and office locations of instances of staff discipline resulting from the protected disclosure policy since its inception.
(11) Would the Minister provide the dates, numbers and office locations of instances of staff dismissal resulting from the protected disclosure policy since its inception.
(12) Would the Minister provide the numbers, office locations and commencement dates of instances of legal proceedings brought against staff resulting from the protected disclosure policy since its inception.
Senator Ian Campbell—The Minister for Transport and Regional Services has provided the following answer to the honourable senator’s question:
(1) The Protected Disclosure Policy sets out the conduct that may be reported under that Policy. The Policy provides that a person may report conduct under the Policy, which, in the honest belief of the person making the report:
(a) is dishonest; or
(b) is fraudulent; or
(c) is corrupt; or
(d) is illegal (including theft, drugs sale/use, violence or threatened violence and criminal damage against property);
(e) is in breach of Commonwealth or State legislation or local authority by-laws; or
(f) is unethical (either representing a breach of CASA’s code of conduct or generally); or
(g) constitutes serious and improper conduct; or
(h) results in, or contributes to, an unsafe workplace; or
(i) constitutes a repeated instance of breach of administrative procedures; or
(j) constitutes gross mismanagement; or
(k) constitutes, or results in, a serious and substantial waste of CASA resources; or
(l) constitutes a reprisal for disclosing reportable conduct; or
(m) may cause financial or non-financial loss to CASA or may otherwise be detrimental to the interests of CASA.
(2) Five (5) reports have been lodged with CASA since the commencement of CASA’s Protected Disclosure Policy, these include:
- 2 allegations of corrupt conduct/behaviour
- 1 allegation of fraudulent travel claims
- 2 reports were assessed as not fitting within the scope of reportable conduct.
(3) At the time STOPline was selected, it was the only private and independent company specialising in this field known to CASA.
(4) STOPline was engaged under contract signed by the Chief Executive Officer.
(5) $18,000 per annum
(6) The contract commenced on 19 April 2004 for a two-year period ending on 18 April 2006.
(7) STOPline monitors CASA’s actions to ensure that matters are progressed and that complainants are advised of progress on their complaints. STOPline does not independently assess whether CASA’s actions in response to a complaint are appropriate or adequate CASA’s Audit and Risk Committee is regularly provided with summaries of all internal investigations, and is informed about any allegations received by CASA via the STOPline process and the actions taken to address the allegations. The Committee is not provided with copies of investigation reports.
(8) The Minister does not receive copies of these reports.
(9) The reports generally deal with named individuals. For privacy reasons, it would not be appropriate for these reports to be provided to the Senate.
(10) One staff member in Canberra received formal counselling in 2004. One staff member in Canberra received informal (verbal) counselling in 2004. Both these disciplinary measures resulted from the receipt of a single protected disclosure.
(11) No staff dismissals have occurred as a result of a protected disclosure investigation.
(12) No legal proceedings have commenced against any CASA staff member as a result of a protected disclosure investigation.