The opposition will seek to remove Mental Health Minister Emma Davidson from cabinet, moving a motion of no confidence in the Greens' member on Tuesday over what they say is her poor handling of a privacy breach in the public health system.
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Deputy Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson, who is expected to move the motion, said Ms Davidson had repeatedly sought to avoid public scrutiny over issues she had mishandled in her role.
"Under this Minister we have seen the Dhulwa Mental Health Unit become unsafe for nurses and patients, requiring WorkSafe ACT to step in; no clarity on the death of a patient in a mental health facility; a report highlighting dysfunction and a toxic environment within her own office and now a serious breach of patient records," Mr Hanson said in a statement provided to The Canberra Times.
"Ms Davidson has been aware that private health records were deliberately leaked to a union for some time and instead of fronting up and alerting the public, she remained silent until the breach was brought to light."
Ms Davidson last week told the Assembly she was notified on February 8 about the data breach, which is now the subject of police and integrity commission investigations, and revealed records had been sent to the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Foundation, which has defended their members' actions.
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Health authorities have sacked one staff member allegedly involved in leaking the information, and another two have been stood down, pending an investigation.
A review of Ms Davidson's office, released publicly in January, had found inexperience, a lack of quality leadership and workplace conflict had contributed to a high rate of staff turnover.
Ms Davidson was also forced to apologise after she had said she was unaware of the nature of a formal complaint made about her behaviour by a Greens staff member, when she had in fact offered an apology.
The Canberra Liberals have moved motions of no confidence this term in Corrections Minister Mick Gentleman, Deputy Chief Minister Yvette Berry, Skills Minister Chris Steel and Chief Minister Andrew Barr, but all the motions were defeated by the government.
The motion of no confidence in Ms Davidson is unlikely to be supported by Greens or Labor members.
A minister has not been removed by a no-confidence motion for almost 29 years.
A motion of no confidence in then-deputy chief minister Wayne Berry passed with support of a three-member crossbench in April 1994, forcing Mr Berry to resign after being accused of misleading the Assembly.
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Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
