Support whistleblowers?

ok - sometimes criminal activity
sometimes corrupt
sometimes sour grapes (Please ignore them for this poll - assuming proven to be sour grapes!)
etc
but sheesh - Can you believe this?

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/15/2190306.htm?section=justin

Should it be illegal to sack people for whistleblowing?

I hope Ms Sneddon sues the NSW government and gets a gigantic payout - in the millions.

moneymajix said:

I hope Ms Sneddon sues the NSW government and gets a gigantic payout - in the millions.

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spot on mm but even there, court cases can take a long time to get justice - involve massive expense - and at the best of times are a gamble

I guess I was ALSO wanting to ENCOURAGE more whistleblowers with legistated rights cast in stone.

2020hindsight said:

spot on mm but even there, court cases can take a long time to get justice - involve massive expense - and at the best of times are a gamble

I guess I was ALSO wanting to ENCOURAGE more whistleblowers with legistated rights cast in stone.

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Sadly, so many people in high places hold the old 19th Century British view that everyone should keep silent. Somehow they and the good name of the establishment come before Law and Justice, as they see themselves above it.

This person's sacking is pure evil. Boys (ie Politicians) club at work? What were they thinking! Did they maybe think she wouldnt say anything, or that the media wouldn't notice? Truly bizarre but maybe they think they are above the law?

From my own experience, large organisations create a culture of ownership that eventually comes down to, "the job exixts for me" not the other way around as it should be.

The resent demise of the Victoria Police illustrates that. The Union Boss standing up for those entrenched with the view that they are the job and it belongs to them.

Attempted whistlebowers within the Victoria Police Union were marginalised and sent packing.

The very task that the current Chief (Ms Nixon) is doing is to isolate and get rid of that mentality. The passing of the the Union Boss, the Ass.Comm and Pres Liason Officer will be one of the last bastions hopefully of that ilk. Regardless of the dredful press I am of the View that Nixon has and is doing a fantastic job.

However whistleblowing is a difficult area and if is difficult then there is a problem. In an open well run organisation the real message from the bottom should go through channels straight to the top and vice versa. As soon as someone is not going according to oil the chain of Command is broke.

I work for an Australian company owned by an American company.

We have just recently had an email sent to everyone on a new whistleblower policy.

Basically, they have outsourced whistleblowing to another company (I don't have their name to hand). If you have an issue to raise you anonymously contact the whistleblowing reporting company, tell them the issue, and they look into it.

I think this is a positive way of dealing with a potential issue which should be alerted and is taking corporate responsibility seriously.

Geez, has anyone been following the Moodie case in WA??
sheesh


http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/28/2349012.htm

Mr Moodie has applied to the court to be reimbursed for the cost of defending the charges.

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I'd say he should get it

Summary - he whistleblows on practices at King Edward Hospital
that there'e higher rates of baby death and deformity than normal

and ... guess what
the Corruption Commission!! (no less) leapfrog the Public Prosecutor, and charge him with Corruption about travel allowances

against the opinion of the Minsiter of Health

And the poor bugger has lost his home and all - and has had to move interstate etc -
bludy criminal !!

PS Fong heard talking to Burke about it - cost him his job and all - bludy justice in his case

I'm sure you Wassies know more about this than I do..

I hope he gets reimbursed his legal fees - that whistleblowing incident has cost him his job, his home, his retirement saving, massive problems for his marriage and kids

....- and furthermore I hope he gets it before the election!

(Sorry for another anecdote - I used to know a nurse from King Edward Maternity Hospital in another life lol - she had an anecdote - that she'd said to her little brother that she worked where little babies were "delivered"

her juvenile brother said " I thought the mums and dads came to pick them up " )

I agree about Moodie. A sad story but by no means a unique one.

There is a culture of secrecy and cover-up in at least Qld Health and it seems in other States as well. Despite vows of honesty and freedom of information, employees are threatened with dismissal if they speak publicly about failures within the system. People are dying for lack of hospital beds.

Well if Carpenter wasn't prepared to back this bloke, (i.e Moodie) - in fact to get him re-instated and pay all his legal fees - he deserves to lose tomorrow..
(imo)