Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring:

Last year, as we indicated, it was our ten-year anniversary and we had an opportunity to review several matters. The commission decided the time had come to accept we could not move forward in any efficient or effective way as we stood. We started looking at what we could do internally. Then there was the realisation, which had been growing over several years, that we needed more help and staff, as well as statutory change.

Soon after GSOC started in 2007, considerations of financial circumstances across public expenditure changed dramatically. For a significant number of years in GSOC, there was either no movement in staff because people were not being hired in the public service or people in the organisation could not move out. It is only in the past two years that one has seen changes in these matters. With those changes, came optimism. That has led to what we have done in the past year. We realise we need a voice and cannot expect others to speak for us.