Something else happened on October 14

 It's been awhile but over the coming months, I intend to post some details about my background starting with the below email - these were the events that ultimately lead to my campaign for the Senate in 2019. My story fits the all too common scenario of a serial predator protected by senior management with clear governance failures - as my employer is unconcerned about these incidents and has previously invited me to complain, I publish these details in the public interest. The lack of concern and empathy shown by my former employer who, amongst many concerning incidents, harmed my child was deeply disturbing, particularly as this is an organisation with many children in their care. In the bigger picture, it remains truly devastating that reports of systemic and repeated abuse in a broad range of settings against vulnerable individuals continue on with such an absurd regularity to demand more light to be shone on such incidents. The failures of past and present parliamentarians and governments to pass laws, to create truly supported pathways for timely interventions continues to cast a dark shadow our community.

And yes, if you cover up harm inflicted on children - you don't deserve to be called a Professor.

14 October 2023

David Lloyd

I largely enjoyed the decade I spent working at UniSA - I made lifelong friends, worked hard and felt that I served and supported staff, students and the broader community to better themselves and the community in which we live. As you are aware, my time at UniSA was blighted by repeated incidents of harassment and intimidation that I witnessed and experienced undertaken by a small number of senior staff. I first experienced this in 2007-2008 when I asked Human Resources for assistance in managing multiple chronic health conditions and the breakdown of my relationship with the mother of my eldest child. UniSA’s response included a barrage of threatening letters written by a senior HR manager demanding that I return to a clearly unsafe and toxic workplace - which necessitated me engaging an external party to assist me in returning to work safely. This same HR manager somewhat routinely harassed many colleagues in the years that followed and it became quite normalised to have your reporting of serious health and safety incidents disregarded. This escalated during my time at UniSA to an incident in September 2015 when an individual whose appearance matched that of the same senior HR manager visited my family home one night to intimidate and terrify my eldest child (who was then ten years old) and my partner. During this incident, this individual delivered signed correspondence from you. In response to my complaint about this matter, you have refused to allow an independent investigation of the incident and denied that the incident even occurred - despite my eldest child being traumatised and expressing their emotional distress in numerous problematic behaviours immediately after and following the incident. My now adult child continues to manage serious medical challenges that have resulted in multiple hospitalisations in recent years.

UniSA’s protection of this predatory manager is not unique - it fits with the all too commonplace occurrence of individuals in positions of power repeatedly ignoring serious systemic misconduct often with disastrous results. The recent final report of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability – like many Royal Commissions in other settings – highlighted widespread systemic failures in accountability, transparency and governance concerning incidents of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of vulnerable members of our community. It is damning that so many colleagues were harmed by this individual whose behaviour went unchecked and indeed, has been celebrated and honoured by yourself and UniSA. 

Commencing next month, I will be publishing this email and making further public comments. I will also be writing to other parties implicated in this matter advising them of my intent to openly discuss their involvement in future postings. My second posting in December will focus on the incidents of 2007-2008 when I asked for support and was subject to numerous incidents of harmful behaviour whose intentions ranged from clumsy or misinformed to clearly intended to cause psychological distress. Further comments will be made without notice. Given your lack of empathy and concern about these matters over many years, I do not anticipate a response but due to the harmful manner in which you have sent your letters previously - I direct you to my current contact details below to prevent further incidents of harm against my children:

Customer and Community

GPO Box 77

Adelaide SA 5001

First floor

1 Anzac Highway

Keswick SA

independentagainstabuse@gmail.com

Following my time at UniSA, I worked at an ASX200 listed company where a colleague committed suicide in a workplace where it appeared he was scapegoated for fraudulent conduct that was still commonplace following his death. Your behaviour is not unique but it does remain concerning that institutions like UniSA whose beneficial insights and research into areas such as Child Protection and Workplace Health and Safety can be so egregiously disregarded when such harm repeatedly occurs within its own walls.

Brett O’Donnell

 

....and a few other things

 Following my previous post, I have been asked to clarify some matters raised in previous posts and óf course, who I will be voting for this Saturday. In the Senate, I will be voting for Rex and in my electorate of Sturt, most likely for Katie McCusker from the Greens (and Labor above Liberal ultimately) BUT I would prefer to be voting for Jo Dyer in Boothby or Liz Habermann in Grey. I still wholeheartedly believe the case for an independent senator actively using privilege as a tipping point for change in how we respond to clearly identified abuse and neglect remains as compelling as ever. Over the last 3 years, our failure to protect our vulnerable has been reflected in numerous Covid-19 related failures and the multitude of flow on impacts on the health system, the disturbing events told in the disability, aged care and veteran suicide royal commissions, and the seemingly never ending inquiries and daily media stories documenting all manner of tragic events with clearly missed opportunities for intervention in settings such as family violence, deaths in custody, child and elder abuse and neglect. I didn't live that far from Ann Marie Smith and in the months that followed her death, I often thought of her and the unimaginable suffering she experienced in her final days. It's absurd that in 2022, we are still overwhelmed and confronted by our failures to protect vulnerable Australians and despite our shared shock and grief about these horrifying incidents, real change in some areas remains glacial.

I have been asked to clarify my earlier remarks about the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) in one of my earlier posts. When I ran for parliament in 2019, I expected to encounter robust discussions and confronting situations but not repeatedly from AEC's staff members. Whilst the surprising number of incidents I encountered might suggest that this was systemically biased conduct, I do feel it was more likely to be somewhat shambolic and unprofessional behaviour by some AEC staff members, with some clearly appearing to be on power trips hoping to achieve a gotcha moment and derail my campaign. The main issue I encountered on a daily basis from the AEC, voters, volunteers and other candidates involved them challenging the legality of my 'How to Vote' material but without any factual basis. I had small circular stickers printed mid-way through the campaign which I stuck to my signs (seen in the image above) in an effort to stop these unnecessary distractions but they went largely ignored, primarily as AEC advertising repeatedly misinformed voters of the need to number a minimum of 12 boxes below the line - when only 6 boxes are actually required. During the 2022 campaign, AEC advertising material once again misinforms Australians about the below the line voting process, and I once again clearly highlight that page 40 of the Scrutineers Handbook (Australian Electoral Commission, version 11, 2021) details that only six consecutive preferences from 1 through  to 6 are required.  I am hopeful that reforms around truth in political advertising will pass through the next parliament irrespective of the result (noting the in-principle support of Liberal MP Jason Falinski - who has somewhat ironically misrepresented charities in his advertising during the 2022 campaign),  and that the AEC's advertising will be bound by this legislation. When I wrote to the AEC about the harassment I received in May 2019, they refused to engage into an investigation or conversation about the issue. The irony of a candidate campaigning against abuse but subject to unfounded harassment seems to have been lost on the AEC and simply echoes the stonewalling and ignorance that victims of far more serious incidents encounter when they try to stop harmful conduct. During the 2019 campaign, I also witnessed AEC staff members make clearly sexist remarks, behave in a manner akin to an angry bouncer at a nightclub and witnessed clear breaches of my and electors' privacy. It really was an eye opening experience.

I have particularly been struck by the absence of any significant discussion about Covid-19 during the campaign. The 'let it rip' strategy of the government which clearly commenced in late 2021 clearly ignored the Omicron wave, clearly ignored the timeline of the vaccine rollout for children aged under 12 and continues to ignore the rising deaths of those most at risk - our elders. Ultimately, it was our geographical strength as an island nation which protected Australia in 2020 & 2021 and rather than good policy, it was fortunate that we survived the clear failures of quarantining international arrivals and Covid cases in the middle of our cities, the Ruby Princess debacle and the ever shifting messages and strategies particularly around our borders and the health system. Just imagine if in 2020 we had moved to a single point of international entry in Australia and quarantined individuals away from our most populous areas, if our government had treated the vaccine rollout as a race, and then imagine 2020 & 2021 without lockdowns and state border closures. I remain hopeful that a strong independent vote will be reflected in more independent voices in our next parliament,  potentially holding the balance of power in both houses and most importantly, truly holding the government to account and creating meaningful change in the many stagnating policy areas. The Labor and Liberal parties have tried, failed and refused to admit their failures, and it's possible that we may have just reached that tipping point where we no longer tempt insanity by doing the same thing over and over and expect different results. Lets hope so.

2022 Federal Election

 Hello All

I wanted to inform everyone of my intention not to nominate as an Independent Senate candidate for South Australia in the upcoming 2022 Federal Election. Following my experiences in 2019, I know all too well that you need to be prepared, passionate and full of energy. Whilst the fire still burns, personal commitments at this point of time prevent me from fully dedicating myself to the challenge of changing how we respond to clear instances of abuse and neglect. This issue remains as important today as it did three years ago, as we are once again absurdly cycling through the horrific details brought to light in Royal Commissions into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, into Defence and Veteran Suicide and last year, into Aged Care Quality and Safety which concluded with a range of well meaning but unenforceable recommendations. Whilst the impact of Covid-19 was less severe in terms of fatalities in Australia, the same baffling lack of common sense in our response to another serious health and well being issue was evident in both the implementation of lock-downs and lifting of restrictions (at differing times), the use of quarantining facilities in the centre of our largest cities and the mixed messages and mismanagement of the vaccine rollout at various stages - to name but a few. The current messaging of living with Covid-19 and lifting restrictions whilst case numbers remain at or near highest ever levels in many states risks more preventable deaths in our vulnerable communities - particularly if cases rise further during the election campaign. Where we were once agile (and at times, implementing restrictions for seemingly spurious reasons), we are now seemingly stuck in the mud of lifting restrictions - no matter the consequences.

Fortunately over the last three years, there has been some progress and many advocates undertaking meaningful progress in Disability, Aged Care, Family and Gendered Violence, Indigenous and Child Protection. However, our parliament needs more voices coming from outside the two major parties, to be more truly representative of our community and the outrage that abuse and neglect creates, and to harness this energy into more timely processes and real responses to prevent clear and serious instances of abuse, neglect and injustice. I firmly believe that the case for an independent parliamentarian to act as a tipping point for change by using to privilege to detail clear instances of abuse and neglect remains as vital as ever.

b

A bit of a shambles?

During the recent federal election campaign, I often received responses of total disbelief from electors - some could simply not believe that someone was running on a platform focused upon calling out clearly identified abuse and neglect in the South Australian community. During the last decade, I've had my own moments of disbelief in response to the antics of successive federal governments, the harrowing accounts of many survivors in numerous Royal Commissions and somewhat less publicly, repeated examples of harmful systemic behaviour in my former workplace. It’s been challenging to have witnessed more irregular conduct and experienced more disbelief in recent months.

I did anticipate encountering political gamesmanship during the campaign and whilst I encountered a few incidents involving various political parties, I am more concerned by the  significant number of incidents involving Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) staff. It began with my initial contacts with the AEC during the nomination process where I witnessed odd behaviour most commonly seen at a rowdy night out at the pub, specifically comments of questionable taste and a variation of the abrasive and dismissive conduct of a bouncer who will not provide explanations for their behaviour. In the weeks that followed, the AEC proceeded to rack up a sizeable list of incidents including multiple breaches of privacy, unnecessary and vexatious email interactions and on a regular basis during pre-polling, repeated ill-informed challenges questioning the legitimacy of my campaign.

At this point in time, my impression is that the unnecessary challenges to my campaign were not so much the fault of any of the individual AEC staff members involved but more a consequence of the AEC's decision to misrepresent the process of casting a vote on the Senate ballot in their advertising blitz during the election. The AEC simply ignored the vote saving provisions in the Electoral Act and in the main emphasised that voters must number boxes one to six above the line or one to twelve below the line at a minimum on the Senate ballot. In contrast, my how to vote material and election signs correctly informed voters that they must number a minimum of boxes one through to six below the line (as clearly detailed on page 41 of the AEC’s Scrutineer’s Handbook).  As a consequence, not only AEC staff but some voters and party volunteers also questioned if my campaign was lawful and some expressed sentiments that they did not vote for me as a consequence of ‘my mistake’.

Whilst most Australians consider deceptive and misleading conduct in modern politics as unsurprising; this view, informed by the conduct of politicians, now appears to also apply to the independent organisation that manages our democratic processes. The AEC's muted response to complaints regarding the Liberal Party's election signs which recently targeted the Australian-Chinese community builds on such concerns. Whilst the perception of political bias within various government departments is worrying; in my circumstances, I am more inclined to suspect that it's a case of repeatedly shambolic behaviour. As these matters are largely of no concern to the AEC, I feel obliged to provide this information for the Australian community and intend to provide more specific details in the future. It may have seemed very quiet here following the federal election but only recently have I felt that I could speak freely about these experiences. The AEC took a long time to respond to my concerns raised in late May, and their response was quite light on detail.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank almost everyone I met during the campaign and particularly those who shared their personal stories and experience of abuse and neglect with me. Many of these stories have both strengthened my resolve, and my sense of disbelief regarding the extent which our lawmakers prioritise the reputations of the powerful over the wellbeing of everyday Australians. I’d also like to thank the many AEC staff members who treated me with common decency. Whilst the behaviour of some AEC staff members has been a distraction, the greater goal remains supporting individuals and medical practitioners in stopping repeated incidents of clearly identified serious injury and harm.

Far from repealing Medevac, we should be providing medically supported interventions and protection to everyone in our community.

Light at the end of the tunnel

This will most likely be my last blog post before the election. If elected, I aim to identify and respond to individual cases of abuse and neglect that are currently creating serious harm in the South Australian community. Systemic abuse is rife and the extent of unnecessary suffering demands a response that supports early intervention with urgency. I believe there is broad community support for enforceable laws to prevent further injury when inflicted repeatedly following clear identification by first responders, witnesses and health professionals. Whilst recognising that some instances of serious harm and injury will be of a complexity ill-suited to such a direct approach, there remains a frightening amount of instances where victims and perpetrators have been clearly identifiable and often brought into sharper focus through the occurrence of further serious injury, stonewalling, cover ups and failures of due process and procedure. Over the course of six years, I hope to bring about a focus upon this systemic failure, change the conversation by the major parties and create legislation that will strengthen in law everyone's right to be safe from clearly identified harm.

Tragically, it has been a bad week for stories about abuse and neglect – particularly the disturbing content aired in the ABC’s stories into neglect in the aged care sector and the abuse of children in Queensland detention centres, and the more disappointing examples of the juvenile argy bargy of the political circus that occurs at many polling booths. I’ve lost track of the amount of instances I’ve been called names or been told that I am initiating disputes simply by standing up for decency, fairness and factual, informed debate. I’ve witnessed many representatives and volunteers from political parties and the AEC wilfully engaging in aggressive and vexatious conduct, the reasons for my nomination continually become more compelling every day. No wonder so many voters are disenfranchised with Australian politics and over half of electors who arrive at Pre-polling booths appear to have their blinkers on and are power walking into the booth and out again. The experiences of the last three weeks have proved to be both character building and somewhat daunting, and I question whether our next parliament will be able to regain the trust of Australians.

I have received quite a number of emails this week from electors concerned about the rights of the unborn, freedom of religion and speech, and a number of issues from individuals concerned about a range of issues focused around religiously conservative viewpoints. Given my determination to always remain open and honest, I have recommended that these electors consider voting 1 for one of the more conservative aligned parties who more accurately represent their viewpoints. In the interests of honesty, I remain quite concerned by the ongoing disparagement of the LGBTQI+ community which is significantly out of step with mainstream Australia, as clearly evidenced in the results of the 2017 referendum on same sex marriage. This issue has re-entered the public discourse as a result of Israel Folau’s views and recent religious and political leader’s commentary on this matter. I remain staggered that public figures feel compelled to make repeatedly hurtful statements about such a broad cross-section of individuals, and then claim a position of victimhood as a result of people calling them out on their behaviour. Everyone is entitled to their views but when they are representing an employer, organisation and any broader group – they must clearly understand that their actions will bring some focus on these groups and have a range of consequences and impacts far greater than just their lives. As I’ve stated before, this need not be a politically correct position and everyone is entitled to their private views but we all should be held to account for any hurt we are causing in our community. This issue has been made unnecessarily complex and seems stuck in this endless loop of reverse victim blaming, despite very few public LGBTQI+ figures making sweeping statements disparaging all churches or all people of faith. However, I do wish Bill Shorten didn’t use the opportunity to trot around on his high horse earlier in the week – I’d rather he simply say that the Australian community has moved on from this debate, next question. Today is the International day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, and I wish to stand by everyone in the community and demand that no person suffer unnecessary, needless harassment and suffering. Thank you to all the inspirational figures of the LGBTQI+ movement who have inspired my campaign, and I wish to particularly highlight Karl Heinrich Ulrichs. It’s fair to say I can fully identify with being ignored.

Finally, I have been surprised by how difficult it has been to have my views heard by the public during this campaign and this does not seem to purely be the fault of Rupert Murdoch or any perceived right wing media agenda against someone who holds quite progressive views. Whilst I hope to do well in tomorrow’s election and have received a largely positive reaction from most individuals and the very few media and public broadcasters I’ve spoken with, the reaction from progressive advocacy groups and media organisations identified routinely labelled as having a leftist agenda has been surprising. I certainly understand what it is like to coordinate a resource stretched operation so will choose to detail a few instances from larger organisations that hint at my frustrations. Our (maybe at times not so) beloved Aunty’s ‘print your own how to vote guide’ simply doesn’t list all candidates running this election so if you wish to consider a vote for any independent Senate candidate tomorrow, you will need to do your own research. I previously have detailed my responses to VeganAustralia on this site and whilst I do not fully support all their propositions, I am a lot more supportive than some of the parties and individuals whose views they have promoted on their website. My contact with GetUp has been the most surprising having been a long-time supporter and promoter of many of their petitions and campaigns for over twelve years. I have written to GetUp both prior to the election and during the election, and I only recently got a response from them as I sent a rather tersely worded email expressing my dismay at their neglect to mention my campaign on their site, or even reply to my emails. Instead they choose to highlight Katter’s Australia Party, the Liberal Democrats, the LiberalParty, the National Party, the United Australia Party and the Shooters, Fishers & Farmers non-response to their enquiries. There are a number of conclusions that readers may choose to make about GetUp’s stance but I wish to highlight that the most effective way we can initiate strong action addressing the climate emergency in our next parliament is to elect as many Greens and progressive / centre aligned independents as possible, not more diluted Labor or Liberal versions of environmental policy and protections. I’m unsure if GetUp's stance this election is truly reflecting their Statement of Independence nor their commitment to the environment. In conclusion, for the consideration of electors – I provide my responses to the questions that GetUp chose not to send to me but I recently sent to GetUp. I also want to thank the individual GetUp volunteers who I've met during the campaign for their support.

I hope everyone has an enjoyable democracy sausage tomorrow, and that the vegan not sausages are freely available.

Thanks for reading my blog this election,

Brett

RESPONSES TO GET UP! QUESTIONS – BRETT O’DONNELL, INDEPENDENT SENATE CANDIDATE FOR SA

1.       Will you stop the Adani coal mine and the exploitation of the Galilee coal basin, as a first step in a moratorium on new coal mines and expansions?

YES

2.       Will you review Adani’s environmental approvals and take action if new evidence is available?

YES

3.       Will you rule out any direct or indirect public subsidies to Adani?

YES

4.       Will you implement policies in line with the Paris Agreement to limit dangerous global warming to 1.5 to 2 degrees, including a process to regularly strengthen these policies when needed in line with independent scientific advice?

YES

5.       Will you rule out counting Kyoto carryover credits towards your emissions reduction target?

YES

6.       Do you accept that carbon pollution can and must be reduced faster in the electricity sector than in other sectors of the economy?

YES

7.       Will you implement a national plan for a just and orderly transition away from coal power to clean energy, phasing out all coal-burning power stations by 2030, and establishing a statutory authority to make sure that affected workers and communities are supported in the transition?

YES

8.       Will you establish a new national Environmental Protection Agency and pass a new generation of environment laws that includes binding National Standards on Air Pollution (including from vehicles and coal-burning power plants) to protect the health of all Australians, with sufficient penalties to ensure that requirements are met?

YES

9.       Will you work with the states and territories to ensure Australia’s renewable boom continues in your first term of government (i.e. that the roll-out of renewable across the country continues at the rate of at least 6GW’s a year)?

YES

10.   Will you unleash investment and jobs in renewable energy by protecting and extending ARENA’s mandate beyond 2022, supporting new transmission for renewable energy zones, supporting the development of a clean energy exports industry, and helping businesses seize the benefits of low-cost renewables and energy savings by underwriting clean energy contracts for at least 250 energy-intensive businesses?

YES

11.   Will you ensure that all households, especially low-income households, renters and indigenous communities, can access the benefits of clean energy and energy efficiency, including the establishment of community clean energy hubs and solar rebates for renters?

YES

12.   Will you support a Commonwealth Integrity Commission with sufficient funding, public hearings, strong investigative powers, a broad scope, and the ability to make public findings of corruption?

YES

13.   Do you support protections from prosecution for whistleblowers who expose government wrongdoing?

YES

14.   Do you support caps on electoral campaign expenditure?

YES

15.   Will you cap an individual or corporation’s donations to political parties, candidates and associated entities to $2000 per year (aggregate) and require donations to be disclosed in real time?

YES

16.   Will you support and commit to implement the ‘Medi-vac Bill’ which instituted a process to allow detainees offshore to be transferred to the Australian mainland for medical treatment and assessment at the behest of a panel of Australian doctors?

YES

17.   Will you support the full evacuation of all those refugees and people seeking asylum held in Nauru and Manus Island for over 5 years to safety in Australia or an equivalent third country?

YES

18.   Are you committed to multiculturalism and a diverse community?

YES

19.   Will you oppose attempts to introduce English-language tests and extend the waiting times for Australian citizenship, and ensure that the Home Affairs Department processes all current and future citizenship applications in a timely and transparent manner?

YES (all citizenship applicants to have commenced an English language course prior to application)

20.   Will you reverse changes made by the Social Services Legislation Amendment Bill 2018 that adversely affect migrant communities and oppose any further exclusion of migrants from the social safety net?

YES

21.   Will you ensure that protections against racial discrimination, including 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, remain intact and that you will consider extending existing protections and policies?

YES

22.   Will you rule out any preference or political deals with One Nation and similarly racist far right parties or candidates, and will you place them at the bottom of your how to vote cards?

YES

23.   Do you support putting First Nations Affairs in First Nations hands?

YES

24.   Will you take action on deaths in custody, starting with a comprehensive audit of the implementation of the Royal Commission’s recommendations?

YES

25.   Will you end the racist and punitive Community Development Program?

YES

26.   Will you restore critical funding partnerships between state and federal governments for remote Aboriginal community housing?

YES

27.   Will you reverse all of the budget cuts to health, education and aged care from the 2014 budget onwards?

YES

28.   Will you reverse all ABC and SBS budget cuts from the 2014 budget onwards?

YES

29.   Will you protect the independence of the ABC and SBS, reform the board appointment process and commit to not interfering in board or senior executive decision making?

YES

30.   Do you agree that Newstart is too low and that it must be raised by at least $75 per week?

YES

*Raise the rate of Newstart and Youth Allowance – I support an increase in the rates of Newstart and Youth Allowance, above that of the regular minor indexation increases. The real rates of Newstart have not risen in 25 years and Anglicare today confirmed in their rental affordability snapshot, that there are only 2 quite isolated properties to rent in Australia that are affordable for a single person on Newstart. I support an urgent and immediate increase in the rate of Newstart and Youth Allowance, and whilst supportive of the work undertaken by ACOSS, I do question whether the recommended increase will be politically possible in the next parliament. A modest increase combined with changes in funding and accessibility around social housing, community, health and employment services, and a scaling back of the more punitive aspects of the welfare system, might be a more realistic outcome (and better than nothing at this point). The frequent poor bashing of the unemployed by some parliamentarians is yet another example of the growing normalisation of abuse of the vulnerable in our community. (from https://independentagainstabuse.blogspot.com/2019/04/replies.html)

31.   Will you take steps to reduce the cost of out-of-pocket medical expenses?

YES

32.   Will you reverse cuts to weekend and public holiday penalty rates announced in 2017?

YES

33.   Will you make housing more affordable, including by reforming negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount?

YES

34.   Will you adopt a full employment target of 2-3% unemployed?

YES

35.   Will you trial a Job Guarantee program?

YES

36.   Will you abolish Stage 2 and 3 of the income tax cuts in the 2018 Federal Budget?

YES

37.   Will you stop unfair tax giveaways to high income earners through avenues like superannuation tax concessions and dividend imputation?

YES (However, I support grandfathering provisions so that older Australians who have already made retirement decisions are not adversely affected)