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Senate Inquiry Shredding Inquiry - On Again   By Bruce Grundy (April 1, 2004) The Australian Senate today established a committee of inquiry to re-open its investigations into the 14 year-old John Oxley Youth Detention Centre document shredding scandal. [see: Shredding Story Overview] The Upper House agreed without dissent to a motion by Queensland One Nation Senator Len Harris that a select committee be set up to investigate the shredding issue and other matters relating to the treatment of children in the John Oxley institution over a decade ago [see: What They Did To A Girl In Care]. The committee will comprise three government Senators, two Labor, and one each from One Nation and the Democrats. Senator Harris said he hoped the committee would decide to sit for a week of non-stop hearings in Brisbane shortly. He said he expected those invited to appear before the Committee would include: former Labor Cabinet Ministers (who authorised the shredding of documents gathered by an inquiry into the John Oxley Centre and were being sought for a legal action [see: Heiner Inquiry]; the Crime and Misconduct Commission (which said the shredding of such documents did not contravene the law); the 0ffice of the Director of Public Prosecutions (who excused the Ministers but subsequently charged a citizen for destroying evidence [see: Judge Burries Shredding Excuses]; the former Archivist who approved the shredding; former staff at the John Oxley Centre; and former bureaucrats in the Department of Family Services (which was responsible for the running of the Centre). “You cannot opt out of the law,” Senator Harris said. “And that is what happened in this case.” Senator Harris said he hoped those asked to appear before the committee would do so voluntarily, but if it was necessary to test or establish the authority of the Senate he would seek to have anyone who did not agree to appear brought before the Bar of the Senate. He said there were five matters the committee would address: securing a just outcome for a 14-year old girl who had been raped while held in custody in the Centre; ensuring those in custody never faced such treatment again; ensuring the ability of the Senate to protect its privileges; seeing that the rule of law was applied unconditionally and not favourably for some and unfavourably for others; and recognising the efforts of former trade union advocate Kevin Lindeberg who has fought for 14 years to have the shredding matter properly dealt with.  1201 page visits Content Management Software 2008