CTU media release
30 July 2009

Prison officers need assurances, not just apology

The Council of Trade Unions today deplored the threatening of three corrections officers by ACT MP David Garrett as they made a submission to the Parliamentary Select Committee hearing on prison privatisation. Mr Garrett implied that the officers would not be offered employment in a privatised service.

“These officers deserve more than an apology for this disgraceful intimidation,”said CTU President Helen Kelly. “They must receive categorical assurances that their future employment prospects will be in no way affected by their contribution to an open democratic process.”

“These workers were there to offer Parliament a unique insight based on their experience working in privately run prisons and the response they got will put other workers off providing similar sorts of insights. David Garrett’s comments threaten to undermine the basic right to free speech and freedom of association.”

“This attack is yet another attempt to gag public sector workers and unions from commenting on the creeping privatisation agenda which seems to be emerging by the day from the Government.”

ENDS