Nola Fraser
Encyclopedia
Nola Therese Fraser is an Australia
n small business owner, former nurse and former Liberal
candidate on two occasions for the seat of Macquarie Fields
. Fraser became a whistleblower
at two Sydney hospitals where she worked though none of her claims have been substantiated and have been shown to have been baseless. Her claims have since resulted in a number of Macarthur health workers having been bullied and spat at in public and being diagnosed with depression. Fraser has left nursing and currently owns a beauty salon.
and Campbelltown
hospitals in south-western Sydney
. Her claims were backed by fellow nurses Valerie Owen, Vanessa Brag, Sheree Martin and Yvonne Quinn. On 5 November 2002, Fraser took her concerns to the health minister, and her local member of parliament, Craig Knowles
. Fraser would later claim—and Knowles deny—that upon cataloguing the dangers patients faced at the hospitals, the minister threatened her.
Knowles demanded evidence, which the nurses provided, but after three weeks there had been no word on any investigation. It was reported that New South Wales Department of Health
officials had been destroying incriminating documents, but this claim was later proved to be baseless by the later ICAC inquiry. Meanwhile, an internal review concluded that the nurses' claims merited investigation by the Health Care Complaints Commission.
On 25 February 2003, the HCCC recommended that no action be taken, having made "no findings that support any loss of confidence by the community in the Macarthur Health Service." The findings came three weeks before 2003 state election
, which Labor won.
Fraser and her colleagues continued their campaign in the media, with the help of talkback radio host Alan Jones
. As HCCC investigations continued, according to a 2003 Sydney Morning Herald report, "those staff who were considering reporting their concerns about the failures watched helplessly as the whistleblower nurses were sidelined and victimised, their jobs placed in limbo." The department ordered a second investigation, led by the head of the Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Health Care.
A copy of the HCCC's interim report was leaked to the Sun-Herald. The HCCC had concluded that of 47 complaints, at least 17 patients "had died after receiving unsafe, inadequate or questionable care" at Camden and Campbelltown. But the report did not lay blame with any individual.
In response, the opposition Liberal Party
led by John Brogden took up the nurses' concerns, decrying what they described as a "cover-up".
The ICAC report stated that "while the commission accepts that Ms Fraser and Ms Martin are likely to have personally believed that their allegations were true, it has concluded that the allegations were founded on nothing more than gossip, speculation and hearsay."
The report said no first-hand evidence was provided of corrupt conduct, nor was there evidence to support claims of falsification and alteration of hospital records, criminal offences, suspicious deaths at Liverpool Hospital, or attempts to silence nurses with "hush money".
In 2004 Channel Nine's (now defunct) Sunday program established serious doubts about Ms Fraser's claims and motives. These were highlighted by Sydney Morning Herald journalist Michael Duffy in 2005 .
Though none of Ms Fraser's allegations were substantiated by the commission, separate investigations by the HCCC, a Special Commission of Inquiry, the state coroner and the New South Wales Ombudsman made findings that ended the careers of a number of bureaucrats.
for the Liberal Party of Australia
. Fraser achieved a swing of 12% for her party, not enough to defeat Labor's Steven Chaytor
.
Fraser was again endorsed by the Liberals for the March 2007 election. However, despite Chaytor's conviction on assault charges two months before the poll, Fraser was unable to improve on her byelection result and was defeated by Labor's candidate, Dr Andrew McDonald
.
After the results had been released on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
, for the 2007 election, Fraser indicated that this would be her last election and that she wanted to take more time to look after her family. This was not the case, however, as she stood unsuccessfully for election to Campbelltown City Council in 2008, receiving 54 primary votes.
Fraser again stood for Macquarie Fields at the New South Wales state election, 2011
but this time as an independent. She gained approximately 11% of the primary votes.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n small business owner, former nurse and former Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
candidate on two occasions for the seat of Macquarie Fields
Electoral district of Macquarie Fields
Macquarie Fields is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, located in the outer south-western suburbs of Sydney. It is currently represented by Dr Andrew McDonald of the Australian Labor Party....
. Fraser became a whistleblower
Whistleblower
A whistleblower is a person who tells the public or someone in authority about alleged dishonest or illegal activities occurring in a government department, a public or private organization, or a company...
at two Sydney hospitals where she worked though none of her claims have been substantiated and have been shown to have been baseless. Her claims have since resulted in a number of Macarthur health workers having been bullied and spat at in public and being diagnosed with depression. Fraser has left nursing and currently owns a beauty salon.
Whistleblower
Fraser rose to prominence when she publicly criticised the administration of CamdenCamden, New South Wales
-Education:Camden is the location of research facilities for the veterinary and agricultural schools of the University of Sydney. The local government area has two public high schools, Camden High School and Elderslie High School, as well as eight Catholic and three Anglican schools.-Culture:The...
and Campbelltown
Campbelltown, New South Wales
Campbelltown is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Campbelltown is located 51 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Campbelltown.- History :Campbelltown...
hospitals in south-western Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. Her claims were backed by fellow nurses Valerie Owen, Vanessa Brag, Sheree Martin and Yvonne Quinn. On 5 November 2002, Fraser took her concerns to the health minister, and her local member of parliament, Craig Knowles
Craig Knowles
Craig John Knowles is a former Australian politician and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1990 to 2005....
. Fraser would later claim—and Knowles deny—that upon cataloguing the dangers patients faced at the hospitals, the minister threatened her.
Knowles demanded evidence, which the nurses provided, but after three weeks there had been no word on any investigation. It was reported that New South Wales Department of Health
New South Wales Department of Health
The New South Wales Department of Health, a department of the New South Wales Government, is responsibile for monitoring the performance of the public health system in New South Wales, particularly through public hospitals...
officials had been destroying incriminating documents, but this claim was later proved to be baseless by the later ICAC inquiry. Meanwhile, an internal review concluded that the nurses' claims merited investigation by the Health Care Complaints Commission.
On 25 February 2003, the HCCC recommended that no action be taken, having made "no findings that support any loss of confidence by the community in the Macarthur Health Service." The findings came three weeks before 2003 state election
New South Wales state election, 2003
Elections to the 53rd Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday 22 March 2003. All seats in the Legislative Assembly and half the seats in the Legislative Council were up for election...
, which Labor won.
Fraser and her colleagues continued their campaign in the media, with the help of talkback radio host Alan Jones
Alan Jones (radio broadcaster)
Alan Belford Jones AO is an Australian radio broadcaster, former rugby union and rugby league coach and administrator.Jones hosts Sydney's most popular breakfast radio program, on radio station 2GB...
. As HCCC investigations continued, according to a 2003 Sydney Morning Herald report, "those staff who were considering reporting their concerns about the failures watched helplessly as the whistleblower nurses were sidelined and victimised, their jobs placed in limbo." The department ordered a second investigation, led by the head of the Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Health Care.
A copy of the HCCC's interim report was leaked to the Sun-Herald. The HCCC had concluded that of 47 complaints, at least 17 patients "had died after receiving unsafe, inadequate or questionable care" at Camden and Campbelltown. But the report did not lay blame with any individual.
In response, the opposition Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
led by John Brogden took up the nurses' concerns, decrying what they described as a "cover-up".
ICAC Inquiry
An Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry into Knowles' behaviour cleared the minister in September 2005.The ICAC report stated that "while the commission accepts that Ms Fraser and Ms Martin are likely to have personally believed that their allegations were true, it has concluded that the allegations were founded on nothing more than gossip, speculation and hearsay."
The report said no first-hand evidence was provided of corrupt conduct, nor was there evidence to support claims of falsification and alteration of hospital records, criminal offences, suspicious deaths at Liverpool Hospital, or attempts to silence nurses with "hush money".
In 2004 Channel Nine's (now defunct) Sunday program established serious doubts about Ms Fraser's claims and motives. These were highlighted by Sydney Morning Herald journalist Michael Duffy in 2005 .
Though none of Ms Fraser's allegations were substantiated by the commission, separate investigations by the HCCC, a Special Commission of Inquiry, the state coroner and the New South Wales Ombudsman made findings that ended the careers of a number of bureaucrats.
Political campaigns
After Knowles resigned from Parliament in 2005, Fraser contested his seat of Macquarie FieldsElectoral district of Macquarie Fields
Macquarie Fields is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, located in the outer south-western suburbs of Sydney. It is currently represented by Dr Andrew McDonald of the Australian Labor Party....
for the Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
. Fraser achieved a swing of 12% for her party, not enough to defeat Labor's Steven Chaytor
Steven Chaytor
Steven John Chaytor is an Australian politician. He was an Australian Labor Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 2005 to 2007, representing the southwest Sydney electorate of Macquarie Fields....
.
Fraser was again endorsed by the Liberals for the March 2007 election. However, despite Chaytor's conviction on assault charges two months before the poll, Fraser was unable to improve on her byelection result and was defeated by Labor's candidate, Dr Andrew McDonald
Andrew McDonald (Australian politician)
Andrew Dominic McDonald is an Australian doctor and politician. He attended St. Leo's Catholic College in Wahroonga, before studying medicine at the University of Sydney. He worked as a paediatrician at Campbelltown Hospital for 17 years prior to joining the Labor Party...
.
After the results had been released on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
, for the 2007 election, Fraser indicated that this would be her last election and that she wanted to take more time to look after her family. This was not the case, however, as she stood unsuccessfully for election to Campbelltown City Council in 2008, receiving 54 primary votes.
Fraser again stood for Macquarie Fields at the New South Wales state election, 2011
New South Wales state election, 2011
Elections to the 55th Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday, 26 March 2011. The 16-year incumbent Australian Labor Party government led by Premier Kristina Keneally was defeated in a landslide by the Liberal-National coalition opposition led by Barry O'Farrell.New South Wales has...
but this time as an independent. She gained approximately 11% of the primary votes.
See also
- A whistleblower's unhealthy mess
- New South Wales state election, 2007
- Sydney South West Area Health ServiceSydney South West Area Health ServiceSydney South West Area Health Service, abbreviated SSWAHS and known by the corporate name Sydney South West Health, was an area health service charged with the provision of public health services in central and south-western Sydney...