When I was five years old, my father instilled in me the importance of always being truthful, and would use the following example as a means of illustrating his point. “If you tell one lie, you have to tell ten more to cover the first”.
What has happened within the Department of Corrective Services is actually the proof of my father's theory. Director of Brush Farm Training Acadamy Lauren Oliver, the Director of Media & Communications Mr. Michael Duffy, and the Commission of Corrective Services Mr. Peter Severin have been telling one lie after another in an effort to cover up the calculated indiscretion and the disgraceful conduct on Ms. Oliver's part, when she quoted in the Sunday Telegraph dated 26th June 2016, “Those old fat white guys wouldn't last very long these days”. She further stated, “That's the old culture, our staff is fighting so hard against that”. And worst still she inferred that we, (the old Prison Officers), could not deescalate a situation and went on to state that modern guards have to be good communicators and be fit enough to respond to an emergency, inferring that we were not.
As you may already know, following these outrageous statements against those very honorable Prison Officers of yesteryear, the Department issued a communication blaming the reporter Jordan Baker, and denied that Ms. Oliver had used those terms. They also indicated that Ms. Oliver was not put forward as a representative of the Department.
I have been informed recently that an ex Prison Officer made direct contact with the reporter, Jordan Baker, in regard to his reporting of this claim. Jordan Baker categorically stated that the entire story had been authorised by Mr. Severin, the Commissioner of Corrective Services and the words quoted directly from Ms. Oliver were actually stated to Jordan no less than six or seven times. In addition Ms. Oliver was put up to the reporter as being the representative of the Department.
I am also aware that an ex Officer has directly complained to the Minister's Office. It seems that these famous three, Mr. Severin, Mr. Duffy and Ms. Oliver, have turned this situation into a “YES MINISTER”, liking it to the television series, either deliberately or negligently, misleading or lying to the Minister of Corrective Services, a Member of Parliament. If deliberately, or misleading a Minister of the Crown is not an offense, it most certainly should be.
This whole matter could have been sorted out very simply and amicably had Ms. Oliver given a simple statement, apologising for her in-discretion, and accepting full responsibility for her wrongful remarks.
These three high ranking officials, Mr. Severin, Mr. Duffy and Ms. Oliver, are blatant lairs. They expect from their subordinate staff the highest of integrity, yet they are unable to reach credible standards themselves.
I call on the Minister of Corrective Services to dismiss these three, as their integrity is of a standard that he, the Minister, could have no faith or confidence in their ability to communicate truthfully with him when such an occasion arises.
This matter will not go away.
This I believe
Peter T. Egge
I most cordially invite, Mr. Severin, Mr. Duffy and Ms. Oliver the right of reply, or indeed to offer their apology to those like me who were so hurt by the stinging, flippant, uneducated remarks and the lies that have followed.
In the Sunday Telegraph, dated 4th September 2016, I am reliably informed that there was an article concerning the most significant lapse in security I have heard not involving a murder or an escape.
