Security review to investigate Centrelink worker safety following stabbing

article-body

Former Victorian Police chief commissioner Graham Ashton will review the security arrangements for Centrelink service centre security following the stabbing of a team leader at Airport West.

Ashton has been asked to investigate the adequacy of physical security measures, determine whether improvements need to be made to managed service programs and whether state criminal law regimes are adequate to protect staff at these centres.

Government services minister Bill Shorten wanted to assure public servants working for Services Australia that the government takes the matter seriously.

Shorten visited the Airport West service centre and met co-workers who were traumatised by the incident.

“It’s a very sad and terrible day for Services Australia, our commonwealth public service and people who work for government at all levels,” Shorten said.

“Public servants do an important and difficult job for people in their local community, many of whom are stressed or vulnerable and have complex problems.

“But that is no excuse. Customer aggression and antisocial behaviour will not be tolerated, ever.

“No one who works for our public service on the front line should ever be concerned for their personal safety. They all have a right to go home safely.”

Shorten told parliament that Ashton’s review was commissioned as a matter of urgency to beef up security where appropriate.

“The terms of reference will examine what we can do to better prevent and deter future incidents,” Shorten said. “This review will be carried out as a priority.

“The impact of this terrible incident on staff is obvious; some were too distressed to return to frontline work today.

“I think it’s important — and I briefly mentioned this to the shadow minister — that this parliament expresses its support for all of our public servants and, in particular, the person who was assaulted yesterday.”

Manager of opposition business Paul Fletcher said the opposition joined the government in expressing its concern at the incident.

“We express our sympathy for the staff member who was attacked,” Fletcher said. “We express our sympathy and concern for all of that frontline staff member’s colleagues.

“We absolutely endorse the statement that no public servant should face the danger of violence in doing the essential work they are doing to serve our community.”