Evidence of applicants' reputations
16 Christopher Crewther is the Patron of the Tourette Syndrome Association of Australia and a member of the Commonwealth Government's Modern Slavery Expert Advisory Group. He is a former member of the House of Representatives, former chief executive officer of the Mildura Development Corporation and was admitted as a legal practitioner in the ACT Supreme Court in 2006. Mr Crewther was a non-executive director of Zoe Support from 2014 to 2018.
17 Mr Crewther has known Dr Anne Webster and Dr Philip Webster for several years. He considers them both to be fine upstanding members of the Mildura community who have dedicated themselves to working for the benefit of others and for the betterment of society as a whole. Mr Crewther noted the significant hours worked by Dr Anne Webster and Dr Philip Webster to make a difference to the lives of young women through Zoe Support who would otherwise have likely faced circumstances of relative social and educational disadvantage.
18 Mr Crewther stated that, in his role at Zoe Support, he developed "complete trust" in Dr Anne Webster. He described his experience of the Websters in the following way:
She is open, honest, wears her heart on her sleeve and has exceptional emotional and general intelligence. Equally, Philip's meticulous focus on governance, reliability and his trustworthiness as chair of Zoe Support perfectly complements Anne's skills, enabling her to focus on the grassroots work of Zoe Support. They are a dedicated, loving, Christian couple; dedicated to their children, grandchildren, family, church and the community. I believe they are always willing to work for and on behalf of the community and…as I know from my interactions with civic leaders and ordinary citizens alike, they are each highly regarded and respected by other members of the community at both a personal and professional level.
19 Hannah Ryan, a client of Zoe Support from 2013 to 2019, gave the following touching evidence:
I am especially grateful to Zoe Support in supporting me and encouraging me to pursue and eventually attain my Certificate 4 in Community Services. They also helped me find housing, by acting as a 'housing advocate' and accompanying me to my housing appointment interviews so that I would not be alone. If I had any trouble with Centrelink, a member of the Zoe Support staff would speak to Centrelink on my behalf. Cooking classes were also provided by the staff, which taught me how to prepare healthy meals for my family.
I credit Zoe Support for creating a strong friendship group between the young mothers. Being able to speak to other women in similar circumstances and forge strong bonds with each other was invaluable and provided a strong support structure that we often lacked from our family and friends. For many of us young mothers with Zoe Support, our families did not provide the required support, but the staff welcomed us and made us feel a part of the Zoe family. I suffered from post-natal depression after the birth of my first child, and the staff helped me get the help and support I needed to combat my depression.
Zoe Support did not just provide us with support during the time we were clients, rather they provided us with the tools to be independent, gain employment and take care of our children and families once we left Zoe Support.
20 Other witnesses attested to the integrity, decency and community spirit of the Websters.
21 Simon Clemence is the Mayor of the Mildura Rural City Council, chief executive officer of the Australian Aviation Alliance (a commercial pilot training school) and chair of the Local Drug Action Team. Mayor Clemence served with the Victoria Police for 39 years before his retirement in 2015.
22 Mayor Clemence first met Dr Anne Webster in 2016, in her capacity as founder and executive director of Zoe Support. Mayor Clemence gave evidence of Dr Anne Webster's dedication and passion for supporting the socially disadvantaged members of the Mildura community. Mayor Clemence also gave evidence that he has worked with Dr Anne Webster on issues directed to improving social and economic outcomes for Mildura. In the course of that work, Mayor Clemence has found Dr Anne Webster to be intelligent, diligent, motivated and very community focussed. Mayor Clemence regards Dr Anne Webster as a great asset to the Mildura community.
23 Mayor Clemence also knows Dr Philip Webster to be a well-respected medical doctor in Mildura.
24 Alison Cupper, member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for the electorate of Mildura, gave evidence that she has only ever heard Zoe Support mentioned or supported in positive terms. Ms Cupper has worked with the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) as a senior child protection practitioner and as a solicitor in the child protection department. Ms Cupper was a director of Zoe Support from 2011 to 2013 and 2016 to 2017. Ms Cupper evidence was based on interactions with members of the local community and people within the DHHS and Integrated Family Services. Comments heard by Ms Cupper have included that Zoe Support performs incredibly important work in the community and fills a vital gap in the local service sector for vulnerable young women and their children.
25 Ms Cupper first met Dr Anne Webster in 2011 in Ms Cupper's capacity as a social worker and former State election candidate, with a particular policy interest in children and families. Ms Cupper recalled being immediately impressed by Dr Anne Webster's wisdom, intelligence, professionalism and kindness.
26 Ms Cupper expressed the view that Zoe Support's positive reputation is largely the result of the dedication of Dr Anne Webster, and her clear vision and genuine passion for the cause of helping young mothers and their children break cycles of intergenerational poverty and supporting them in reaching their potential.
27 Merryl Whyte has been the coordinator of the Mildura Place-Based Suicide Prevention Trial since 2017. She is also the founder and past president of the Sunraysia Perinatal Depression Support Network, and a council member for Mildura Senior College. Prior to commencing her current role, she was the Coordinator of the North West Advisory Council with the Murray Primary Health Network and a producer with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for the region of Mildura and Swan Hill.
28 Ms Whyte first met Dr Philip Webster during her time as a producer at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. In 2015, she often organised phone interviews with him to obtain and broadcast his responses to health issues in the community, in his role as Medical Adviser for the North West region of the Murray Primary Health Network. Ms Whyte gave evidence that she was aware of Dr Philip Webster's service on the Mildura Senior College School Council, and of the liaison role played by Dr Philip Webster between the School Council and Zoe Support.
29 Ms Whyte described Dr Philip Webster as a competent, caring and knowledgeable medical practitioner, who regularly visits nursing homes and puts patient care at the forefront of his decision-making. Ms Whyte understands Dr Philip Webster to be a medical practitioner who will work after hours, attend professional development sessions and routinely work with other parts of the health sector to improve the health system.
30 Ms Whyte stated that Dr Philip Webster, along with a colleague, led the initial health sector meetings to discuss and plan local responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, and he was one of the few senior medical practitioners who volunteered to be on the roster to establish a COVID-19 testing clinic in Mildura. Ms Whyte also said that Dr Philip Webster is a mentor for younger medical practitioners in his private practice and is a valued peer in the wider network of medical advisors within the Murray Primary Health Network region. He is motivated by a genuine desire to help both individuals and the wider community.
31 Dr John Buckley, a general practitioner in Mildura, gave evidence that he has known Dr Philip Webster for almost 40 years through their participation in local medical boards and training and teaching medical students. Dr Buckley states that Dr Philip Webster's opinion is often sought, and always listened to. Dr Buckley considers that anyone who has met Dr Philip Webster would be offended by such inflammatory and clearly false accusations.