Mayoral candidate drops unfair dismissal case against Ambulance Tasmania

A mayoral candidate in the West Tamar Council race has dropped his unfair dismissal case against Ambulance Tasmania.

Rick Shegog was dismissed from Ambulance Tasmania in September last year in relation to alleged breaches of the code of conduct, after being suspended since September 2022. 

Before that, he was dismissed from Tasmania Police in 2004 following a charge of unlawfully setting fire to property. Mr Shegog was found not guilty on that matter by the Supreme Court in 2006.

Mr Shegog this year brought an unfair dismissal case against the Department of Health to Tasmania's Industrial Commission. 

The health department argued Mr Shegog was fired due to conduct issues and failing to disclose certain matters in relation to his conduct. 

Mr Shegog's lawyer argued Ambulance Tasmania was aware, or ought to have been aware, of the issues that it later fired him for when it hired him.

A hearing into the case began today, and the Department of Health had intended to call Police Commissioner Donna Adams to give evidence.

The first witness called by the health department was described by the department’s lawyer as a sexual harassment victim.

The department asked the commission to suppress the witness's name.

This was followed by a request from Mr Shegog's lawyer to also suppress his client's name — which the health department opposed, in the interests of open justice.

A brief adjournment was called, and when the case returned, Mr Shegog's lawyer said his client would drop the unfair dismissal case.

Rick Shegog is the outgoing deputy mayor of West Tamar Council — to the north of Launceston — and is currently running for mayor. 

In his candidacy statement, Mr Shegog refers to himself as a former police sergeant and now paramedic.