Senator Quirke-Is the Minister aware that on 27 March the South Australian state manager of Minister Bishop's Department published a letter criticising the ANF for raising problems in the media over the lack of nursing staff in a South Australian nursing [home] before lodging a complaint with the Department? Can the Minister now confirm that the ANF did lodge complaints about this very issue, naming the facility concerned, with the department's complaints resolution scheme confirming receipt of the complaint on 10 March? Why was the state manager unaware of the complaint three weeks after it was lodged with his office?

Senator Herron- The report in “The Australian” of 22 March that prompted the SA State Manager's correspondence appeared well after an earlier complaint from the ANF had been resolved to the ANF's satisfaction.

The newspaper report of 22 March did not identify the service therefore giving the impression that it related to a separate complaint that needed to be pursued. The Department was subsequently advised that the report referred to the same facility (Churchill Court) which was the subject of the earlier complaint.

In relation to the original complaint from the ANF, there is no substance to the suggestion that the SA State Manager was unaware of it three weeks after it was lodged. He received it on 8 March and it was dealt with immediately. Complaints staff contacted the facility (Churchill Court) and, on the same day (8 March) the facility provided a written explanation of the incident to both the Department and the ANF. The ANF have indicated that they are satisfied with this explanation.