Kathryn Johnston has a Master of Social Work and a Master of Philosophy. She worked for the Queensland government in child protection for 18 years. Kathryn was a caseworker, coach, mentor, trainer and senior manager. Kathryn's passions are cooking, gardening, photography, her heritage hens and music. In retirement she also enjoys writing and has a blog: scatteredstraws.com. When Kathryn returned to her hometown of Toowoomba in 2002 as the Regional Director, Department of Families, Toowoomba and South West Region, her future could not have looked brighter. That was until the day she received a phone call, when on holidays, telling her she was being stood down from her position. In what unfolds as a heartless calamity of political interference, Kathryn tells her story. It is an insider's story, the voice of a former public servant, rarely heard. It is a story that set-in motion the Crime and Misconduct Commission investigation into child abuse in foster care in Queensland in 2003-2004.As Kathryn describes her experiences of mobbing in the workplace, she also becomes a voice for others. Mobbing has a pernicious effect on people and this book tells the story of how it destroys hopes, dreams and even the lives of innocent people. No one wants to get caught in the crossfire, it is a dangerous place to be.When privilege and power is hard-wired into a person's DNA, they see things differently. Positional power can legitimise authority and be used to control and even bully others, but it is a weak foundation upon which to live and govern - Kathryn JohnstonBe who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind - Dr. Seuss
