Child Abuse Inquiry Becomes Fiasco

The continuing fiasco that the Inquiry into Sexual Abuse of Women and Children has become is continuing reveal more bizarre facets. On the 23rd of July 2006 the Sunday Telegraph reported that the Inquiry Co-Chair, Mick Palmer, had told the Chief Minister that he wouldn't be able to take up the post until he had completed a transport security review for the Federal Government.

"That won't be until November,” Jodeen Carney said today.

"Small wonder that there has been no effort into setting the inquiry up, the star of the show wasn't going to be around for a very long time.

"It is concerning is that the inquiry was to report in December. That means that the Chief Minister knew that there would only be a month for it to be conducted. This is not the fulsome and comprehensive inquiry that was promised by the Chief Minister.

"What it actually is an attempt to distract media attention from her poor performance and to distract media attention from her incapacity or unwillingness to deal with this important issue.

"The inquiry was going to be the carpet under which this dreadful problem was going to be swept.

"Whoever heads up the inquiry now will have to struggle with its reputation as a tainted and cynical exercise and they are going also going to have to rush to meet the Chief Minister's deadline. The Chief Minister's credibility is also further tarnished by the fact that on Tuesday, when she was reassuring Territorians that all was well with the inquiry she already knew that Mr Palmer has resigned. She simply didn't tell Territorians the truth, but then we're getting used to that.

"In the meantime, while the circus continues, the tragedy of what is happening to these women and kids is going to continue. They are the people paying the penalty for the Chief Minister's focus on politics rather than outcomes.

"Unless the new co-chair does a spectacular job, as well as being meticulous and thorough, many people will simply dismiss the inquiry for what it was designed to be, and that was a whitewash to make the Chief Minister look good.”

2006-08-04