Royal Commission into the Home Insulation Program

Appointed by Letters Patent issued by Governor-General Quentin Bryce on 12 December 2013 (the Federal Register records the instrument as made on 10 December) on the advice of the Abbott government, countersigned by the Attorney-General, appointing Ian Hanger AM QC as sole Commissioner. The terms of reference covered how the government made decisions on establishing and implementing the program, including the identification and management of workplace health and safety risks, the advice and warnings it received, whether the deaths of Matthew Fuller, Rueben Barnes, Mitchell Sweeney and Marcus Wilson could have been avoided, and the effects on their families and on existing insulation businesses. The report was due by 30 June 2014.

Legislation: Royal Commissions Act 1902

1. 14 May 2014Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd gave evidence on 14 and 15 May 2014.
2. 15 May 2014Letters Patent amended to extend the reporting date from 30 June 2014 to 31 August 2014.

The final report was received by the Governor-General and tabled on 1 September 2014. It identified serious failures in the design and implementation of the program, in particular that risks to installer safety were not properly identified or managed. The government responded on 30 September 2014 and later made payments to the families of the four men.

• Inquiry into the establishment and implementation of the Home Insulation Program
• Inquiry into the deaths of four installers and other harms attributed to the program

Last in the portfolio of Attorney-General's Department.

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Some dates or links for this organisation are not fully confirmed. Corrections are welcome.