SIR Brian Langstaff’s powerful performance in his exposition of the horrors uncovered by the inquiry into the blood infection scandal has rocked the establishment and exploded the myth that the primary purpose of our institutions is the protection of the public at all costs. It was a tale of lies, deceit, denial and disregard for health warnings, which they all turned a blind eye to. For a long time there has been evidence that the general public had little faith in what the representatives of our institutions came out with.
Now the self-serving nature of our revered institutions has been shown to be lip service to the ideal of devotion to the interests of the people. Sir Brian is demanding that legislation is needed to establish a commitment to candour, to which institutions will need to conform when their shortcomings are shown to be harmful to the public. Instead of hiding behind a smokescreen to evade responsibility for such failures, our representatives will be legally bound to explain without prevarication what led to their mistakes.
The electorate has had more than enough of the circumlocutions employed by members of institutions under serious scrutiny to escape having to answer questions which need a direct and unequivocal response. Public servants are there to serve and to address the needs of the people for which they have to be answerable. If Sir Brian can bring about that change to make those who lead our institutions unafraid to answer questions honestly and op.