In Australia 10-year-old children can be incarcerated. Youth advocates are urging the states and territories to change that, ahead of a meeting of attorneys-general today.

A health practitioner inappropriately accessed the medical records of more than 1300 patients at an Aboriginal health clinic in the Pilbara, including confidential notes relating to her ex-partner, colleagues and sex assault victims.

Amorette Lockyer was an Aboriginal health practitioner in the clinical team at Mawarnkarra Health Services in Roebourne when she accessed confidential records 3125 times “without any clinical justification or authorisation” between 2014 and 2018.

Lockyer accessed the records of 67 staff members, family and friends, her ex-partner, and records of patients who “had declined to discuss their presenting complaint” with her.

Her “unexplained viewings” also included “entries by a doctor or counsellor of a sensitive nature including in relation to suicide attempts, sexual assault consultations, requests for terminations of pregnancy and referrals for drug rehabilitation”.

Lockyer “deliberately accessed the records in a way that would not leave an audit trail in the patient’s record”, by viewing them through a “Medicare window” on the clinic’s computer system.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board of Australia launched disciplinary action in the State Administrative Tribunal, with the two parties reaching a settlement last week.

After agreeing she engaged in professional misconduct, Lockyer’s registration, which has already been suspended for a year and three months, was suspended for a further four months.

And she can now only start working as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner again under supervision, and must complete training and a report “in relation to ethical decision making and patient confidentiality”.

“The access was in breach of the applicant's code of conduct for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners, in that she failed to protect the privacy and right to confidentiality of patients of the clinic,” a statement of facts said.

“(She) violated her ethical and legal obligations to protect patient privacy as required ... by gaining confidential information about (her) local community members, family members and colleagues which they did not disclose to her.

“(And) failed to ensure that records were held securely and were not subject to unauthorised access, as required ... by leaving her computer unlocked.”

The tribunal took into account Lockyer’s clean history, that she agreed to settle, her “significant remorse” and that she “lives in a remote community and has already suffered repercussions” when imposing its penalty.

Mawarnkarra Health Services declined to comment.

Colourful Port Hedland Mayor Camilo Blanco is expected to be preselected by the WA Liberals to contest the seat of Pilbara — three years after he was turfed out of the Labor Party for campaigning for then-Nationals leader Brendan Grylls.

Mr Blanco was expelled by Labor after handing out how-to-vote cards for Mr Grylls during the 2017 election, at a time when the WA Nationals headline policy was to introduce a $5 per tonne mining tax on the State’s two biggest iron ore producers, BHP and Rio Tinto.

He was elected Port Hedland Mayor at special election in November 2016 — following the surprise resignation of Kelly Howlett — and again at an ordinary election the following year.

During his Mayorship Mr Blanco has repeatedly made headlines, including when he drastically ramped up land rates levied on big miners including Fortescue Metal Group and BHP.

Mayor Camilo Blanco in action on the basketball court.
Mayor Camilo Blanco in action on the basketball court. Credit: Robert Dougherty/North West Telegraph
The latter put Mr Blanco at odds with Local Government Minister David Templeman and the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries which requested Port Hedland review the proposed new rating strategy “due to the size of the proposed increased” for some ratepayers, including the big miners.

In July last year the entire Port Hedland council was suspended amid allegations of dysfunction and poor decision-making, a move Mr Blanco claimed at the time came after he personally lodged 30 complaints against four fellow councillors over conflicts of interest. It remains suspended ahead of new elections in October.

Mr Blanco will take on first term Labor MP Kevin Michel who currently enjoys a margin of just 2.2 per cent.

Meanwhile, former Australian Christians candidate Phil Twiss has been pre-selected to replace Christopher Tan at number two on the WA Liberals’ East Metropolitan ticket.

Mr Tan was forced to vacate the winnable position in May when his long history of driving indiscretions — including driving without a license and unpaid fines — came to light.

Mr Twiss ran for the Australian Christians in the seat of Hasluck at the 2017 Federal Election, attracting 3.44 per cent of the vote.

As an 18-year-old in the navy 30 years ago, Mr Twiss was represented by Premier Mark McGowan — then a naval lawyer — when he was convicted of property damage for smashing a glass door.

Both Mr Twiss and Mr Blanco have been endorsed at branch level with Liberal State Council meeting Saturday to ratify the preselections.