Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Medicare) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health. Can the minister assure the House that he has not been involved in any other instances of the kind we have seen described here in the papers, involving inappropriate language or behaviour towards stakeholders, public servants or staff?

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I again sincerely reiterate my apology to the mayor of Katherine.

I was asked some questions along similar lines before question time today by the same newsagency that had today's story. They wanted to know whether or not in my time in parliament there had been any complaints by staff to the Department of Finance or parliamentary services. To the best of my knowledge, to the best of our records, the answer is no. I'm happy to continue to check on that, but to the best of my knowledge and the best of my records there hasn't been.

In addition to that, I was also asked whether there were any cases of complaints by staff to my chief of staff or my office manager. Again, to the best of my knowledge and the best of my records, the answer is no.

A government member: In 17 years.

In 17 years. In addition to that, I was asked whether there had been any mediations or settlements with staff. For absolute clarity, based on everything I know, the answer is no. There have certainly never been such things.

I was also asked whether or not there had been any issues in relation to public servants. There is one case. I want to be absolutely upfront: there is one case that was raised with me about a former secretary of health. The Prime Minister himself raised it and asked that I speak with the secretary of Prime Minister and Cabinet. I think as soon as the Prime Minister was made aware of it, he asked me to deal with it. This was in relation to issues around the progress of the National Cancer Screening Register for cervical cancer. There was a risk, not long after I came in, that that program would not commence and women would be left without screening, which was literally one of the few things in this place that was a life and death issue. As ministers are prone to do from time to time, I had a strong discussion with the then secretary, and that was raised with me by the secretary of Prime Minister and Cabinet after the Prime Minister asked if I would do that. He acted immediately.

Again I take full responsibility for that, but this was a matter of life and death—literally—and I think in that situation, while it was a strong discussion, it resulted in the right outcome. The program was able to be continued. I have utmost respect for the public servant involved. So I say this to the best of my knowledge, and for full clarity of the situation.