Assistant Minister to the Premier

The Hon. T.T. NGO (15:22): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Assistant Minister to the Premier regarding conduct of portfolio business.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.T. NGO: In question time previously, the assistant minister faced a series of questions regarding her use of parliamentary resources to conduct ministerial business, particularly relating to her requirements under the freedom of information and state records acts. On 17 October 2018, the assistant minister assured this chamber that:

…it is not correct…to say that parliamentary emails are not FOI-able. If they relate to ministerial-type duties, they are FOI-able—totally.

The opposition has obtained freedom of information documents from both the University of Adelaide and the Department of the Premier and Cabinet relating to the assistant minister's conduct of portfolio business. While the university held email records of the assistant minister using her parliamentary email address to conduct her portfolio business, the department appeared to hold no such records. My questions to the assistant minister are:

1. Does the assistant minister understand her obligations under the freedom of information and state records acts?

2. Has the assistant minister fully complied with those obligations and the Ministerial Code of Conduct?

3. Were the assistant minister's statements to this parliament accurate when she assured the council that all ministerial business conducted through her parliamentary address was FOI-able?

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:24): I thank the honourable member for his very important questions. I have checked with the office of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet. We do have an allocated freedom of information officer. Regarding all the work that I have done in terms of what documents fulfil the FOI requirements, I have been advised that they all have been compliant.