The Emergency Services Agency's senior executives need to be replaced to allow an overhaul following a damning review that found evidence of bullying and a culture of blame, the paramedics' union has said.
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The Transport Workers' Union said it was "obviously a recipe for failure" if senior executives were not stood aside.
The union also called for all funding allocated by the government to the agency for the ACT Ambulance Service to be subject of an independent audit.
"The TWU ambulance members are relieved this review has highlighted the toxic behaviour that the members have known for some time exists, and unfortunately continues to exist, within the Emergency Services Agency executive," the union said.
The Justice and Community Safety Directorate had also failed to appropriately consult with staff on how the findings of the management review would be acted on and "the perpetrators and promoters of this behaviour over several years remain the masters of their own destiny", the union said.
The union said senior leaders who currently led through fear and bulling would be tasked with correcting their own behaviour.
But the union expressed full support in ACT Ambulance Service chief officer Howard Wren, who, the union said, had been tarred with the same brush as the Emergency Services Agency's executive by the report. The union said service chief officers were part of the solution.
"Serious concerns consistently raised by the TWU with the ESA, [Justice and Community Safety Directorate] and the ACT government remain in place and are either dismissed or are constantly stalled or delayed in being corrected," the union said.
The union pointed to concerns with the handling of a project that removed the ambulance service's oversight of the emergency triple-0 call centre, and the agency's handling of money allocated to the ambulance service.
The ACT Ambulance Service did not have an appropriate maternity uniform available for issue, which the union said was "highly inappropriate, discriminatory and quite simply unacceptable", and was an example of the Emergency Services Agency's failure to appropriately support its services.
A senior ACT public servant on Thursday acknowledged an external review of the Emergency Services Agency had identified issues that executives "shouldn't be proud of".
Justice and Community Safety Directorate deputy director-general Ray Johnson said all members of the Emergency Services Agency's executive were still keen to be part of the organisation and improve its operation following the review, commissioned by the directorate.
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Emergency Services Minister Mick Gentleman on Wednesday did not say whether he remained confident in the executive of the agency but acknowledged the findings were "concerning".
Mr Gentleman said it would be up to the public service to implement the recommendations of the review, after the firefighters' union and opposition called for him to be stood aside and another minister appointed to overhaul the agency.
Emergency Services Agency commissioner Georgeina Whelan told staff this week the agency's leadership group accepted a responsibility to improve workplace culture, leadership development and internal communication.
"As the commissioner I take my leadership responsibilities seriously," she wrote in an all-staff email seen by The Canberra Times.
"And along with the senior executive leadership team, we acknowledge the areas where change and improvement is needed."
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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.
