COVER UP CULTURE

The mister men were today unsurprised to see yet another example of the culture of cover up that goes on for management in the northern territory department of health.





This time they targeted comments made by readers in the story they tried to suppress.

Here goes the senior director of human resources, Raelene Burke;

'Everyone has a right to make comment'.

Then, a matter of hours after the article hit the internet, they pressurised the NT News to cut the comments made by the readers.

So much for free speech in the department of health. That didn't last very long, did it Ms Burke?

Fortunately, our friends over at CARDFIGHTBACK had our backs on this one.

Not missing a trick, they had already filed the article AND the comments away for posterity.

So here are the comments that the northern territory department of health didn't want you to see.

Don't forget the health department in the northern territory is run by a parasitical class of senior players who run it primarily for their own benefit. They think nothing of bullying the free press and suppressing free speech.

We spoke about this before. And we think it's going to become a recurring theme.

You simply cannot ever believe a word they say.

Here are the the comments for your viewing delight:

• Mack of Rural Posted at 12:20 PM July 11, 2015
  

  Well done to the Mister Men, wait until this spreads to the dept. of ed. But where does the need for bullying come from? Where else but our trusty government, who pull funding out of these vital sectors. Management are forced to adopt the cut throat attitude. It always comes from the top. And look at who's at the top and how amazingly popular they are! But don't forget, you are not allowed to say anything when you work in a Government department. If you speak out against the boys club, you're sacked and blacklisted. I've witnessed this happen to at least 5 people first hand and I don't work for the government. What a disgusting system run by self serving dysfunctional people...

  Comment 1 of 26
• Tony Ryan of Darwin Posted at 12:48 PM July 11, 2015
  

  Ms Bourke does not understand statistics, which makes me wonder about her competency and where her loyalties are. Contrary to popular and highly proselytised social science belief, a survey which samples a carefully representative corridor of the target group can accurately identify attitudes with a hundred interviews. Make that a thousand interviews and the difference in result will always be less than 1%. And who the hell cares about less than 1%? As Ms Bourke clearly does not care about the bullying, let me remind her of the ward sister who vindictively altered personal staff files, which caused the loss of jobs and promotions. That she also abused ward drugs also makes me wonder at the values of a department that stood by and did nothing. Decades of political and departmental corruption are about to come home to roost, Ms Bourke.

  Comment 2 of 26
• the mister men of all over the nt Posted at 1:21 PM July 11, 2015
  

  we did give information to King Len but we know nothing will come out of it. as for trusting them to do investigations we know what happens; bad news gets covered up. our theory is that the senior managers don't have a clue what is going on further down the food chain. in the interim, keep sending us stories to bully@tutamail.com thank you the mister men

  Comment 3 of 26
• Sharon of RDH Posted at 1:23 PM July 11, 2015
  

  no one trusts them anymore to run their own investigations. they don't give their staff natural justice. I'm with the mister rmen on this and so are all my colleagues.

  Comment 4 of 26
• Keith of ASH Posted at 1:43 PM July 11, 2015
  

  ha ha ha ha great work! HR are a joke in the health department. Ask anyone.

  Comment 5 of 26
• John Thatcher of Moil Posted at 1:47 PM July 11, 2015
  

  How was the department ever allowed to get to this? By terrible mismanagement, that's how. Its about time Notaras and his merry band actually walked the walk and turfed the ones doing this to his staff out. He has had enough time to fix it but has got no where near. The bullies are still there, still being protected by human resources and nothing has changed.

  Comment 6 of 26
• watermelon of out bush Posted at 1:50 PM July 11, 2015
  

  I think one of the big issues it that remote nursing is full of nurses that are just going out bush for the MONEY, they never complain about the MONEY. They don't even want to do nursing anymore, but have a retirement plan which is built around the MONEY that they earn out bush. A lot go to fake so-called night emergencies to get even more MONEY and they wonder why they are so worn out, but they keep going for the MONEY, especially the FIFO nurses who get the most MONEY.

  Comment 7 of 26
• Mates rates in the health department of H.Doo Posted at 1:54 PM July 11, 2015
  

  What a nerve they have asking for a right to respond when they deny it to their staff. Natural Justice? Employment Instruction 3? - its luck of the draw with this lot. as for HR I am amazed they even got 1 per cent happy with them. people have complained and have actually been ignored. why would anyone trust you? your staff have no faith in you. why don't you all clear off and lets get some decent people in to run the service. People who have no history here and don't keep on doing favours for their mates as a priority.

  Comment 8 of 26
• bookworm of rapid creek Posted at 2:08 PM July 11, 2015
  

  What a fantastic idea. Very well written too.

  Comment 9 of 26
• DOH Ex Employee of Darwin Posted at 2:26 PM July 11, 2015
  

  If the Department of Health surveyed all of their 6000 employees the results would be the same but they wont do it because they know what the results will be. The Department has had a top down bullying approach for years and it is evident is-n all areas of the Department. Some transparency around turnover and retention rates would be good to see. I am an ex employee who left because of bullying. I did not complain as I saw several people make complaints and no action was ever taken. It is a very toxic environment.

  Comment 10 of 26
• bluey of rural Posted at 2:40 PM July 11, 2015
  

  Telling someone to do their job is not bullying.

  Comment 11 of 26
• RAN of NT Posted at 2:48 PM July 11, 2015
  

  No whats disappointing is that this has been going on for so many years and the Health Dept has done virtually nothing to address the problem apart from the usual platitudes. I was a victim of serious bullying from Remote Health management several years ago but was able to fight back at heavy personal cost and gain a "Pyrrhic victory". However this has tempered my view of the Darwin based management and I have very little trust in the capability of the Health Dept to do anything meaningful about while the people who cause the problem are still in place.

  Comment 12 of 26
• Peter Johnson of Darwin Posted at 2:59 PM July 11, 2015
  

  crikey, it s a scandal a week in the territory health department. sack 'em all. its the only way to turn it around once the rot sets in.

  Comment 13 of 26
• Ex RAN of Damn southerner Posted at 3:33 PM July 11, 2015
  

  I'm sure there is more to come. Another tactic is to ignore emails and phone requests for assistance. Then. If you go ahead and make things happen your head gets kicked. I doubt Ms Burke would have a clue and is just repeating what she has been told to say. Good on you Mr Men seeing as the ANMFNT don't seem capable of helping anyone but themselves.

  Comment 14 of 26
• Aimpoint is watching of inside the perimiter Posted at 3:45 PM July 11, 2015
  

  So it would seem that the NTG import from QLD senior (only by pay scale) managers with dubious pasts. Department of Business and Department of Health.

  Comment 15 of 26
• Larry the Lawyer of Medical Negligence Posted at 4:27 PM July 11, 2015
  

  "When asked by the NT News if the group had provided to the department for investigation any evidence of bullying, harassment or cases where patient care had suffered" -- C'Mon NTNews you can do better than that.....any health employee who deals with the public, or any teacher who is in charge of children, who is under stress, not sleeping, feeling harassed, intimidated, is in fear of losing their job with the resultant consequences that would entail, IS NOT AT THEIR BEST AND IS THEREFORE PROVIDING A SUB-STANDARD SERVICE TO THOSE PATIENTS/CHILDREN. It follows logically then that patient care/children's education IS SUFFERING BECAUSE OF IT! Bullying managers, whether in Health or Education (or if you're Phil Brennan, you're in both Health AND Education, GO NT GOV!) are responsible for that lack of care and ultimately legally liable if something goes wrong, along with their employer.

  Comment 16 of 26
• Paul Posted at 4:38 PM July 11, 2015
  

  Same within the education department

  Comment 17 of 26
• My 4th Floor Window is Always Open for U of Darwin Posted at 6:33 PM July 11, 2015
  

  About time there was a blog about NT DoH. Why was there no comment from CEO Len? DoH hired that Education FaceBook guy Brennan. More blogs and have no mercy. Out the bullying until Len stops it all.

  Comment 18 of 26
• I am confused,but that's to be expected in the NT of Darwin Posted at 10:01 PM July 11, 2015
  

  Is Kalimnios and Kamitsis the same person.

  Comment 19 of 26
• Terri Tory of NSW Posted at 11:50 PM July 11, 2015
  

  The NT Government needs to be called to account! And their HR people are nothing but management sycophants.

  Comment 20 of 26
• mister men of Darwin Posted at 3:00 AM Today
  

  the mister men have plenty of evidence of patient care suffering thanks to bullying. we will be posting a response to this story when we have stopped laughing at what the hr officer was quoted as saying. in the meantime, we have just posted a new story and hope you enjoy it. it is about double standards in the health department.

  Comment 21 of 26
• no more plastic change from managers of Darwin Posted at 5:50 AM Today
  

  The service chiefs must surely realise that its their managers who are the bullies. They are the people who have ruined other's lives. It takes years to recover from false allegations and to get them from your own management is such a massive betrayal with far reaching implications for those affected, including their families. Good work mister men. Everyone in my clinic supports you.

  Comment 22 of 26
• Crakah of Lee Point Posted at 6:46 AM Today
  

  Oh, the allegations are true alright, I personally know of two people who have resigned within the last six months because of 'bullying' & 'cover-up'!!

  Comment 23 of 26
• Interested of Hell House Posted at 8:16 AM Today
  

  Publish the link to the blog!

  Comment 24 of 26
• Bill of Coomalie Posted at 8:37 AM Today
  

  The NTG (and super councils) are still full of ALP oysters who won't let go of their lucrative rock because they are in positions way above their merit and what they would earn elsewhere. These incompetent sociopathic types are a rot that will only get worse. It's time to declare all senior management positions open with a transparent process for those reappointed.

  Comment 25 of 26
• Bill Phrennan of Darwin Posted at 8:41 AM Today
  

  Examples of bullying: swearing at your staff, giving excessive workloads to create failure, spying on staff, ostracizing staff, gossiping, misusing performance procedures, discriminating, falsifying records about staff........ . The list goes on. The UnHealth Department. Len this is your mess!

  Comment 26 of 26