RA Rodda Museum of Pathology - Formal apology
[12.38 p.m.]
Ms BURNET (Clark) - Honourable Speaker, the minister's words today, this motion, the contributions so far and what we will come to hear are an important recognition of the wrongs associated with the RA Rodda Museum collection.
Fundamental to any institution, be it government or university, is the responsibility to uphold dignity. In circumstances where individuals' remains were taken and retained without consent and the wishes of families ignored, that responsibility was profoundly breached. In this case, the dignity of human life and the respectful handling of the body after death was violated. The collection, retention and display of human remains without due consent represents a serious ethical failure. As a former health practitioner, I'm deeply dismayed by this breach of trust. It stands in stark contrast to the ethical standards that underpin healthcare and it is both shocking and profoundly disappointing of a learning institution such as the University of Tasmania.
I acknowledge the families present in the Gallery today and others who are not here or who could not make the journey today, who have been directly impacted by these actions. government institutions, universities and individuals failed in their duty to your loved ones and to you. I recognise that you have felt and still feel disrespected, dismissed and unheard, not only because of the indignities inflicted on your deceased family members, but also through aspects of the more recent coronial project processes.
Last year I was contacted by a family member and I want to acknowledge that conversation. He shared the deeply distressing experience of learning, years later and in an unforgivably callous way, that parts of his relatives body had been taken after death without consent. The impact of that discovery has been enduring. While I cannot imagine to speak on behalf of affected families, I sincerely hope that today's acknowledgement through Minister Archer's apology on behalf of the government and the parliament represents a meaningful step towards healing.
I also acknowledge the persistent and important work of Meg Webb MLC, whose efforts ensured that this apology was not allowed to fall off the agenda. I commend, too, the care taken by minister Archer and the Department of Health staff in bringing us to this point. As a crossbench member, I see it as my duty to work proactively to ensure that atrocities associated with the RA Rodda Museum are never repeated. It is not simply a matter of whether laws existed or now exist to prohibit such conduct, although they certainly do now.
The deeper issue we must confront is the culture of silence that allowed those in positions of power to act without accountability, that is the challenge before us. In that context, I acknowledge the museum curator in 2016 who raised concerns and effectively blew the whistle on these practices. If we are serious about preventing such failures in the future, we must ensure robust whistleblower protections, and that is something within the power of this parliament to deliver.
What remains deeply concerning for the families and for all of us is that it took a decade from those initial concerns being raised by the museum curator to this apology today. That delay speaks to a broader culture of silence and an aversion to transparency that must be addressed. I urge the government to remain open to considering appropriate redress schemes and to act on the lessons learned, not only from these historical events but also from the more recent coronial project responses.
This is a sombre day, but an important one. It is a day on which the government and the parliament formally acknowledge past wrongs. It is important not only to speak these words but to bear witness to this apology, an expression of respect that was not afforded to the deceased who were the subject of these outrages. These are difficult but necessary steps toward healing. We must continue to confront the wrongs of the past, wrongful then as they are now.
I hope this moment contributes to recognition of the deep and ongoing trauma experienced by families and loved ones. Most importantly, this must never happen again. From this egregious experience, we must learn and ensure that injustices are never repeated.
Members - Hear, hear.