Wagner Nicky: Coroners Bill — In Committee 
Wagner Nicky: Coroners Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:632;Page:4397] 
NICKY WAGNER (National) 
: 
 Being a coroner is an important and sensitive role. It is important because coroners are required to inquire into sudden and unexplained deaths and to establish as far as possible the cause and circumstances of those deaths. Then through investigations coroners are required to find a way to avoid future unnecessary deaths from occurring. It is a sensitive role because death usually involves families and wider networks of grieving people left behind. A sudden and unexpected death is even more shocking and emotive. 
 National supports this Coroners Bill because it replaces the Coroners Act of 1988 which was well overdue for an overhaul. The main purpose of the bill is to professionalise the coronial system so it will be more consistent more effective more timely and more sensitive to family and cultural needs. Many submitters to the select committee process were family members who felt dissatisfied and even undermined by the present coronial system. The very large numbers of coroners working mostly part time has made it almost impossible to deliver a consistent and timely service across the country. Many coroners—and indeed JPs who do coronial work on occasion—are very experienced and do very fine work but as cases are becoming more and more complex and technically challenging it is timely that new provisions are introduced. The public must have confidence in the system. 
As part of this professionalisation of the process about 20 full-time coroners will be employed to replace a much larger number of part-time coroners and as we have heard a chief coroner will be appointed. The role of the chief coroner is key. It will be one mainly of leadership and coordination and he or she will be responsible for providing support advice and particularly practice notes to the team and for ensuring that investigations are orderly and timely. Time is of the essence. As we heard my colleague Mr Chris Finlayson mention so many of the submitters who talked to us were devastated by the length of time it took to deal with their coronial process. The chief coroner is particularly charged with maintaining the consistency of service that we heard from submitters there was a great lack of. He or she will be required to streamline the system by encouraging cooperation and by avoiding unnecessary duplication between coroners and other investigative authorities and official bodies. Right now most coroners deal with only a small number of cases every year. So moving to a system where coroners are full time will allow coroners to develop a greater expertise and will improve that important timeliness of inquests and the release of coronial findings. Full-time coroners will also have more time to undertake public education and to develop a closer relationship with other investigating authorities. 
The establishment of a full-time professional coronial system was strongly supported by submitters and by coroners themselves although in this process many of those experienced and competent coroners will lose their part-time appointments. I would like to register publicly the National Party’s respect and thanks for those existing coroners.