Member E-Blast: Royal Commission Update

QDN provides the following information to members as part of our aim of keeping members regularly informed on the Royal Commission.

Community Forums

The Royal Commission has announced its first forum open to the community.  The Townsville forum on 9 September will be the first of a number of forums to be held around the country to allow people to hear about the work of the Royal Commission and to share their stories and ideas.  Registration is via the Community Forums page of the Royal Commission website, where further forums will be added once confirmed.

Anyone can attend a community forum but for planning purposes you will need to pre-register to attend.  QDN encourages members in the Townsville area to attend this forum. All engagement events including community forums will be fully accessible, including Auslan Interpreters and live captioning on the day.

Draft Accessibility Strategy

The Royal Commission recently released a Draft Accessibility Strategy. The draft strategy outlines the principles which will guide the commission in its engagement with people with disability. Feedback is sought via the Royal Commission website until 13 September. QDN is putting in a submission to this, if you would like to give your views on how the Royal Commission should be accessible, please contact Karin Swift on 1300 363 783.

Penalties for preventing witnesses from appearing

Significant penalties apply for impeding (preventing) people from contributing to royal commissions. An article by Hall & Wilcox Lawyers highlights legislation on preventing witnesses from giving evidence and dismissing employees for having given evidence.