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AAP
AAP
Politics
Ethan James

Potential misconduct intel not shared with premier

Jeremy Rockliff has told parliament claims of public servant misconduct weren't shared with him. (Loic Le Guilly/AAP PHOTOS)

Tasmania's premier says he became aware of information from a child abuse inquiry relating to potential public servant misconduct months after it was provided to a government lawyer. 

A commission of inquiry, which delivered its final report in late September, found failings over decades in state government responses to abuse allegations in public institutions. 

It made one misconduct finding but indicated it was hampered in making others by legislation and lawyers adopting certain "interpretations".  

Premier Jeremy Rockliff on Thursday said he had been advised the inquiry had written to the state's lawyer in April.

He said the inquiry advised of current and former state servants it intended, or was considering, issuing misconduct notices to.

"The purpose of this information exchange was to ensure wellbeing supports were in place for state servants," Mr Rockliff told parliament. 

"To be clear, this correspondence was not shared with myself, ministers or our offices."

Mr Rockliff made the comments as an "update in the interests of transparency" after telling parliament on Wednesday the inquiry had not provided the state with a list of individuals who received misconduct notices. 

Aside from the inquiry's misconduct finding, against a former hospital director, the identities of 22 individuals who received allegation-of-misconduct notices have not been made public. 

Mr Rockliff said he has asked the head of the state service to confirm all materials sent to, and received from, the inquiry were being "meticulously" examined.

He also said he wanted to ensure referrals by the inquiry were being reviewed as part of a previously announced audit of all current and former public servants who had been "adversely identified". 

Labor opposition leader Rebecca White said the matter needed to be investigated independently. 

"How is it only today that your government realises you've had these names since April?" she said. 

Mr Rockliff wrote to the inquiry's heads in October, saying he was concerned they had not been able to complete their work and that state servants had avoided accountability. 

The inquiry heads replied that they were confident they had made all legally required referrals. 

Independent upper house member Meg Webb earlier this week named 22 individuals and eight entities she said had "clouds over them" in relation to possible misconduct because they had provided the inquiry with procedural fairness responses. 

Mr Rockliff said none of those individuals or entities had been the subject of misconduct allegations.

The inquiry referred more than 100 people to authorities during their investigations. 

It said Tasmania's youth detention centre had a "live" risk of sexual abuse and should be shut as soon as possible. 

The government, which says it will adopt all 191 inquiry recommendations, has pledged to close the centre but hasn't figured out a timeline.

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