Correctional Services Department

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:11): I have a question for the Minister for Correctional Services. How many instances have there been of Corrections staff being recorded without their knowledge in meetings, telephone conferences or telephone calls in the last two years?

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light—Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (14:11): The allegation that the department actually has secret recordings I can refute. What happened on this occasion, which is in discussion, is that there was a normal consultative committee meeting. At those consultative meetings, meetings are recorded by consent of the parties. The parties are both the union representatives and members and also management, and they are recorded for the purposes of making sure that an accurate record of the meeting takes place.

On this occasion, I understand and I am advised, because the meeting went across geography—in other words, across sites—what happened was that people got on and off the phone or some technology and entered the meeting at different times, and some of those people who came into the meeting at a later time were not aware of the previous agreement. So this allegation that somehow we actually secretly recorded meetings is refuted.