Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Families and Social Services, Senator Ruston. Between 2014 and 2017, the New South Wales Ombudsman found that there were no less than 42 preventable deaths of disabled people in New South Wales residential care, including 11 deaths via choking. During this period, Commissioner Ryan was a senior public servant of the very New South Wales department responsible for the care of these individuals. Of these 42 preventable deaths, the Ombudsman found that there were two where a direct link existed between the death and a program that Mr Ryan oversaw. In light of these conflicts of interest, can the government understand why disabled people, particularly in New South Wales, feel like they are being asked to disclose to their abusers?