Callinan Inquiry confirms AQIS under-funded and under-staffed
12 June 2008, 10:38pm
The Callinan Report into the August 2007 equine influenza outbreak released by the Government on Thursday 12 June confirms that a lack of staff and resources at AQIS was a key cause of the horse flu crisis.
The report vindicates CPSU concerns that AQIS has been under-resourced for some time.
Funding not the only problem
In our submissions to the Callinan and Beale reviews, CPSU identified a range of serious problems with AQIS procedures and structures. We are calling on DAFF to work with staff and their union to ensure;
effective and consistent procedures across the agency
clear lines of management accountability
management respect the right of staff to raise issues, ideas and concerns through their union.
About the report
The Callinan Report makes 38 detailed recommendations including:
The establishment of an Inspector-General of Horse Importation
An audit of all quarantine facilities used for horse importation
Increased funding and staffing
CPSU is currently examining all the recommendations and their implications for staff. We will provide a detailed response for members shortly. A priority for the CPSU will be ensuring the expertise and concerns of frontline staff are listened to and acted on.
What happens next?
CPSU will be working with members to assess the Report recommendations. We will also be meeting with government and DAFF to put forward your views on the report and recommendations.
The Federal Agriculture Minister, Tony Burke, says the Quarantine Service is taking further action against staff following the Callinan Inquiry into horse flu.
The Public Service Commissioner recommended investigating staff after Callinan reported "inefficiency, incompetence and a lack of diligence" within AQIS.
The horse industry wants the Government to take responsibility for the failings which led to the horse flu outbreak, but only the executive director of quarantine has resigned so far.
Mr Burke says staff will be given a chance to defend themselves before any action is taken against them.
"Certainly, you want procedures to be dealt with quickly and you've got to make sure that within that that people get due process," he says.
"People need to be able to have an opportunity to defend themselves, put their own side of the argument, and those processes, as I understand it, are being followed in a timely fashion."
(Taken from ABC Rural online)
All I can say is that these incompetent fools in AQIS management have brought the entire organisation into disrepute. They have single-handedly destroyed the integrity of the organisation, the public has labelled all of us together, and these inept managers still maintain their positions of 'power' within the NSW hierarchy. These people are an embarassment to the rest of us who front the public daily, who have to shrug off the barbs and slander, and we're the ones who have to try and restore dignity to AQIS.
If you want to look at a comedy, just read through the Callinan transcripts; Simms came across as a clown who wasn't conversant in her own job description, Turner just had no idea what was going on and has since fled to the safety of Canberra, Widders washes his hands of everything like a diligent vet, Hankins god bless his soul was more interested in OH&S than what constitutes effective bio-containment.
A huge management 'cull' is what is needed. Put in some managers who know how to inspire their teams, motivate, and respect the people they are duty-bound to lead. Some managers who know basic carbon chemistry or biology would be pretty useful too.
Alot of officers were sacked, forced to resign, demoted, and fined for sending each other porno emails. They were charged with failing to uphold the values of the APS, not behaving with integrity, etc. The public had no idea about this. Yet, with a $1billion plus cost to industry, and the single-most farcical lapse in modern Australian quarantine history, these managers who allowed EI to traipsy into the country, continue to sit in their ivory tower at Crewe Place. Seems ironic to me.
And watch management release the hounds and the inquisition and interrogations start in response to this comment!
Posted by:Passionate AQIS supporter - 16 Jun 2008, 9:18am
AQIS has been subject to half thought out, knee-jerk reactions from management and government for too long. When a public media blitz hits, APS level employees get the blame whilst management - who are supposed to be responsible- say 'we didn't know' to save thier own reputation. More examinations like the Callinan Report would be welcome to shed light on a very bad management culture.
Posted by:Border Security viewer - 14 Jun 2008, 11:29am
"AQIS needs cultural change - Burke" Frontline Quarantine Union members have been highlighting problems to Senior managers in AQIS for a long time prior to the EI outbreak, "the maze of bureaucratic confusion" is at the management levels. We must maintain and support our Frontline Quarantine Inspectors who are understaffed and lack the vital resources needed to keep Australia free from Bird Flu and other pests and diseases
Posted by:cpsu member - 13 Jun 2008, 11:39am
No suprises in the callinan report - we've been telling maagement this for ages. now we've got the chance to fix this joint up.
My suggestion - outsource AQIS management to:
Howard, Fine & Howard
Staff fearful of jobs in quarantine service
Monday, 04/08/2008
The Federal Agriculture Minister, Tony Burke, says the Quarantine Service is taking further action against staff following the Callinan Inquiry into horse flu.
The Public Service Commissioner recommended investigating staff after Callinan reported "inefficiency, incompetence and a lack of diligence" within AQIS.
The horse industry wants the Government to take responsibility for the failings which led to the horse flu outbreak, but only the executive director of quarantine has resigned so far.
Mr Burke says staff will be given a chance to defend themselves before any action is taken against them.
"Certainly, you want procedures to be dealt with quickly and you've got to make sure that within that that people get due process," he says.
"People need to be able to have an opportunity to defend themselves, put their own side of the argument, and those processes, as I understand it, are being followed in a timely fashion."
(Taken from ABC Rural online)
All I can say is that these incompetent fools in AQIS management have brought the entire organisation into disrepute. They have single-handedly destroyed the integrity of the organisation, the public has labelled all of us together, and these inept managers still maintain their positions of 'power' within the NSW hierarchy. These people are an embarassment to the rest of us who front the public daily, who have to shrug off the barbs and slander, and we're the ones who have to try and restore dignity to AQIS.
If you want to look at a comedy, just read through the Callinan transcripts; Simms came across as a clown who wasn't conversant in her own job description, Turner just had no idea what was going on and has since fled to the safety of Canberra, Widders washes his hands of everything like a diligent vet, Hankins god bless his soul was more interested in OH&S than what constitutes effective bio-containment.
A huge management 'cull' is what is needed. Put in some managers who know how to inspire their teams, motivate, and respect the people they are duty-bound to lead. Some managers who know basic carbon chemistry or biology would be pretty useful too.
Alot of officers were sacked, forced to resign, demoted, and fined for sending each other porno emails. They were charged with failing to uphold the values of the APS, not behaving with integrity, etc. The public had no idea about this. Yet, with a $1billion plus cost to industry, and the single-most farcical lapse in modern Australian quarantine history, these managers who allowed EI to traipsy into the country, continue to sit in their ivory tower at Crewe Place. Seems ironic to me.
And watch management release the hounds and the inquisition and interrogations start in response to this comment!
AQIS has been subject to half thought out, knee-jerk reactions from management and government for too long. When a public media blitz hits, APS level employees get the blame whilst management - who are supposed to be responsible- say 'we didn't know' to save thier own reputation. More examinations like the Callinan Report would be welcome to shed light on a very bad management culture.
"AQIS needs cultural change - Burke" Frontline Quarantine Union members have been highlighting problems to Senior managers in AQIS for a long time prior to the EI outbreak, "the maze of bureaucratic confusion" is at the management levels.
We must maintain and support our Frontline Quarantine Inspectors who are understaffed and lack the vital resources needed to keep Australia free from Bird Flu and other pests and diseases
No suprises in the callinan report - we've been telling maagement this for ages. now we've got the chance to fix this joint up.