Premier
Whether he has appointed an investigator to investigate allegations against the Head of the Department of Local Government and one of his chief directors; if not, why not; if so, (a) when was this appointment made, (b) what is the detail of the scope of the investigation being conducted, (c) what is the detail of the allegations being investigated, (d) when will the investigation be completed and (e) what practical steps and measures have been taken to ensure that all the relevant former and current officials of the Department are able to provide evidence for the purposes of the investigation on a confidential basis without fear of intimidation, victimisation or retribution?
It is confirmed that an independent investigator has been appointed, however, the investigation is limited to the Head of Department.
- The appointment was finalised on 24 February 2023;
- The investigation relates to allegations of victimisation because of alleged past sexual harassment;
- See b above;
- It is anticipated that the investigation will be concluded by the end of July 2023;
- The investigation is being conducted entirely independently, and all parties have a direct line to the investigator without the involvement of the Employer. Requests for anonymity will be respected as has been the approach in the past by this Government.
