Ministerial Statement

NationBuilder

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Planning and Local Government) (14:05): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: I table the Privacy Committee's report into the alleged collection of personal data by the government using NationBuilder software, which I received yesterday afternoon. Of concern were links posted in government press releases and on some government websites that redirected users through the NationBuilder platform and whether data was captured in doing so.

This government takes very seriously any misuse of personal information, either directly or inadvertently. Information was sought from all state government chief executives as to whether links redirecting to NationBuilder have been removed, whether the state government procured the platform and whether any personal information was being collected from SA government websites through NationBuilder or any other website tracking applications. All agencies advised the Privacy Committee they had deleted the relevant documents links and would discontinue the practice of copying links from press releases that caused the redirection. NationBuilder also—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the member for West Torrens!

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: —advised—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Deputy Premier has the call.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens is warned.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: NationBuilder also advised that in the circumstances outlined not only did they not collect any data but they lacked the technical capability to do so. Interestingly, the report also noted that no formal complaints relating to the use of NationBuilder had been received by the committee at the time of preparing the report. The committee concluded:

1. Based on available information, neither NationBuilder nor state government agencies have collected personal information from website redirections.

2. The risks have been mitigated—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens is warned for a second time.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: —due to the removal of the links that redirected through NationBuilder and through discontinuing the copying of links from press releases.

3. Based on the information provided by state government agencies, there is no breach of the Information Privacy Principles and therefore no further action is required by the committee.

The report indicated it would be forwarded to the Ombudsman, having had regard to the previous public statements. This report will also be published on the State Records website, I understand, this afternoon.

Despite the hysterical claims of the opposition as being the biggest scandal in South Australian history, the Privacy Committee has confirmed what the Premier has said from the outset: we never did it. I table the report.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my right, members on my left! The member for West Torrens will leave for 20 minutes in accordance with standing order 137A.

The honourable member for West Torrens having withdrawn from the chamber:

The SPEAKER: I call to order the member for Hammond, the member for Playford and the member for Kaurna.