Greens’ reforms to strengthen protection for whistleblowers have passed the Tasmanian House of Assembly. Our changes will help ensure people who report issues in custody are protected from reprisal.

The Custodial Inspector raised concerns about whistleblowers’ fear of reprisals and called for legislated protections. The Liberals have ignored the Custodial Inspector’s recommendations to protect whistleblowers, so the Greens have stepped in to get it done.

As the Liberal Government continues with its “tough on crime” approach, things are only getting worse in our prisons. With Tasmania’s corrections systems in crisis, now more than ever we need people to speak out about what’s happening inside our prisons.

Without whistleblowers we would not know the state of Tasmania’s corrections system, where overcrowding, excessive lockdowns and barriers to rehabilitation have all been reported. The Tasmanian Government has a duty to protect the human rights of the people in its custody, and whistleblowers help ensure this happens.

Whistleblower reports lead to better conditions for Tasmanians in our prison system. Whistleblowers shouldn’t have to fear retribution for simply speaking the truth, and that’s why the Greens have taken action to protect them.

We thank our parliamentary colleagues who supported our reforms to protect whistleblowers. Cassy O’Connor MLC will take our reforms through the Tasmanian upper house soon, where we hope Legislative Council members will support them in...

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