Podshape podcast helps drive parliamentary inquiry into Tasmania Police misconduct allegations

Independent Australian podcast company Podshape has welcomed the establishment of a Tasmanian parliamentary inquiry into Tasmania Police responses to allegations of officer misconduct, following months of reporting through its investigative podcast Badge of Betrayal.

The inquiry, announced on 24 June 2026, will examine Tasmania Police responses to allegations of officer misconduct and will be conducted by the House of Assembly Standing Committee on Government Administration B. The official inquiry page lists Ms Ella Haddad MP as Chair and Dr Rosalie Woodruff MP as one of the committee members.

The inquiry will consider Tasmania Police responses to allegations of serious misconduct, including sexual misconduct and family violence, as well as the response from Tasmania Police and the Tasmanian Government in relation to the Paul Reynolds matter.

Badge of Betrayal, produced by Podshape, investigated the case of former Senior Sergeant Paul Reynolds and the broader questions surrounding police culture, complaints handling, institutional failure and the treatment of victim-survivors and whistleblowers.

In an interview aired on Badge of Betrayal, Tasmanian Greens Leader Dr Rosalie Woodruff acknowledged the role of the podcast in bringing new information to light.

“We are moving to have a parliamentary inquiry to investigate Tasmania Police’s response to the Paul Reynolds matter and to also investigate the responses of Tasmanian Government ministers and senior departmental staff,” Dr Woodruff said.

“We’re very concerned that there is unexamined evidence and questions unanswered about how Tasmania Police officers, including the past Commissioner, responded to and dealt with the allegations against police officer Paul Reynolds and his perpetration of child sexual abuse over a number of decades.”

Dr Woodruff said the podcast had helped expose further material that required scrutiny.

“You and your work and the work of the podcast has brought to light recently some conversations with police officers and especially right to information documents that give us more questions that have not been answered so far,” she said.

The Tasmanian Greens have also stated publicly that information aired on Badge of Betrayal raised further questions about the matter and that the inquiry will be able to hold public and confidential hearings under parliamentary privilege.

Podshape co-founder and host of the podcast Jay Walkerden said the inquiry shows the power of long-form investigative podcasting when it is led by evidence, courage and the voices of people who have been ignored for too long.

“This podcast was never about chasing headlines,” Mr Walkerden said. “It was about listening to victim-survivors, asking the questions that had not been properly answered, and following the evidence wherever it led.

“For people who have carried this for years, this inquiry matters. It gives them a chance to be heard in a process with powers, protections and public accountability.

“We are incredibly proud of the role Badge of Betrayal has played in helping keep these questions in the public conversation, but this moment belongs to the brave people who spoke up victim-survivors, whistleblowers, current and former police, and those who chose to remain anonymous because they still feared the consequences of telling the truth.

“This is not the end. It is only the beginning.”

Podshape co-founder Katie Mattin said the company remains committed to trauma-informed storytelling and giving people a safe way to share difficult experiences.

“These stories are not content to us,” Ms Mattin said. “They are people’s lives. They are years of pain, silence and unanswered questions. We take that responsibility seriously.

“When people trust us with their story, our job is to handle it with care, but also with courage.”

People who wish to follow the inquiry or provide information can visit the official Parliament of Tasmania inquiry page.