Home insulation royal commission: Kevin Rudd accepts 'ultimate responsibility' for scheme

Updated

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd says he takes responsibility for the "deep tragedy" of his government's home insulation program, in which four workers died.

A royal commission sitting in Brisbane is examining how decisions were made and how warnings were handled before the worksite deaths of four installers in 2009 and 2010.

Appearing at the commission on Thursday, Mr Rudd pointed out the failures of the public service, which he said did not raise any safety issues.

Mr Rudd said former junior minister Mark Arbib had been asked to stay "abreast of the detail where things could go wrong" with the scheme in 2009.

He said he told Mr Arbib that he needed "to watch this very carefully so that things can be nipped in the bud if there's a problem".

However, Mr Rudd said he bore "ultimate responsibility" for the failures.

"As prime minister you accept responsibility for the good and for the bad, for anything that the government does during the period, of which I am its prime minister," he said.

"And for those reasons, as I've said repeatedly before, I have accepted ultimate responsibility for what was not just bad, but in this case a deep tragedy."

Mr Arbib, who was parliamentary secretary for government service delivery during the scheme's delivery, previously told the hearing that his role was largely to communicate with the public, but that he would have "raised the alarm" with the prime minister if he was aware of warnings public servants failed to pass on.

Under questioning by Tom Howe QC, representing the Commonwealth Government, Mr Rudd said Mr Arbib "absolutely" had more than an oversight role and he had been specifically charged with evaluating the risks presented by the scheme.

"I wanted a set of eyes focused on implementation difficulties," Mr Rudd said.

As I've said repeatedly before, I have accepted ultimate responsibility for what was not just bad, but in this case a deep tragedy. Kevin Rudd

In his statement to the inquiry, Mr Rudd said his relationship with Mr Arbib began to deteriorate towards the end of 2009.

"We had our disagreements about some other political and policy matters, and it is fair to observe that our personal relationship unfortunately deteriorated, although our professional relationship remained functional throughout."

Mr Rudd said he knew little about insulation, and relied on the advice of others when setting up the scheme, which was designed to stimulate the economy during the global financial crisis.

"If you're looking for me as the home handyman - if my wife was giving testimony, she would be quick to give a response - I am not," he said.

Mr Rudd noted in his statement that the home insulation scheme was first recommended not by ministers, but by the public service as part of a series of recommendations on energy efficiency.

"The public service had also asked a professional firm to do a risk assessment of the whole Home Insulation Program before proceeding," he said.

Rudd's secret evidence released to public

Mr Rudd's previously censored statement to the commission was released on Thursday, after the Commonwealth agreed to allow the airing of Cabinet discussions.

The decision is legally historic, breaking the 113-year-old Cabinet-in-confidence convention and allowing the former prime minister to give uncensored evidence at the inquiry in Brisbane.

In his written statement, Mr Rudd said he was repeatedly told the national insulation roll-out was "on track", even after several workplace deaths.

He said Cabinet considered analysis of the scheme in October 2009, and no major risks were raised.

The next day, the first of four installers, Matthew Fuller, was killed on the job.

During questioning by lawyers representing families of the men killed, Mr Rudd addressed their desire for answers.

"I think your clients have a right to feel confused, angry, let down, by a system which ultimately did not perform," he said.

Mr Rudd said he was "genuinely moved" by a letter he received from Kevin Fuller, the father of installer Matthew.

"You could read the total pain of a father," Mr Rudd said of the letter.

The former prime minister said Cabinet received regular reports from the bureaucracy that were "specifically designed to alert ministers to any programs going off the rails".

Mr Rudd said eight of these reports found no problems with the energy efficiency program, including the insulation scheme, saying it was "on track".

Had a delay been requested of Cabinet on safety grounds, I have no doubt ministers would have granted it immediately. Kevin Rudd

He said problems were not identified until around the time of the fourth worksite death.

He said the program could have been delayed if public servants had raised safety issues.

"Had a delay been requested of Cabinet on safety grounds, I have no doubt ministers would have granted it immediately," he said in his statement.

"The reaction would have been: 'Hang on here, if there is a problem we need to really look at this'," he told the inquiry.

Mr Rudd has been "stood aside" as a witness, leaving open the possibility for lawyers to pose further questions. He will be able to reply in writing or via videolink.

'Make sure something like this does not happen again'

The royal commission also heard from Martin Sweeney, whose 22-year-old son Mitchell Sweeney was electrocuted in north Queensland in 2010.

As Mitchell's father it is my great hope the findings of this commission will go a long way in helping to make sure something like this does not happen again. Martin Sweeney

Mr Sweeney said he hoped the inquiry prevents future tragedies.

"No family should ever have to go through what we've been through and what the families of Rueben Barnes, Matthew Fuller and Marcus Wilson have been through," he said.

"As Mitchell's father it is my great hope the findings of this commission will go a long way in helping to make sure something like this does not happen again.

"I would also like to finally take this opportunity to say we love you very much Mitchell, and we'll never stop missing you."

Topics: royal-commissions, workplace, federal-government, rudd-kevin, brisbane-4000

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