A spokesman for the New South Wales Family and Community Services Minister Pru Goward has hit back at accusations that she mislead parliament by editing the official record of parliamentary proceedings, Hansard.
The state opposition claims the minister was trying to cover up misleading statements she made about the critical shortage of caseworkers protecting vulnerable children.
Ms Goward has faced intense scrutiny in her portfolio, and it was revealed during a Budget Estimates hearing on August 12 that the actual number of workers employed was far short of the number she had claimed.
On August 13, Ms Goward addressed parliament on caseworker numbers but the Hansard record of what she said was later changed.
Labor says Ms Goward changed the transcript to read:
There has never been a moratorium of caseworker recruitment by me.
When it originally read:
There has never been a moratorium on caseworker recruitment.
Labor’s community services spokeswoman Linda Burney says it is a clear attempt by the minister to mislead parliament.
“Minister Goward has had her staff change Hansard to change the meaning of what she said about caseworkers numbers,” she said.
“This is actually physical evidence of the minister misleading parliament about caseworker numbers.
“It’s just more evidence of her lack of deservedness to hold this or any other portfolio.”
A spokesman for Ms Goward say Hansard is not strictly a verbatim record and any minor changes have been in accordance with Hansard’s policy.
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