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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-09-22 Daily Xml
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Question Time

Data Harvesting

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:18): I am happy to repeat the question, sir. My question is to the Premier. Was the Premier's office subject to an Ombudsman's investigation into the misuse of data?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:18): Sorry, as I was saying—

The Hon. V.A. Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —that's right, quite some time ago—that wasn't something that we were aware of. There was an inquiry by the Privacy Committee. That report was tabled and, of course, I think there was the potential for that to be referred to the Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman appeared before a parliamentary inquiry today. He has subsequently issued a statement clarifying statements that he made today. As part of that clarifying statement, he made it very clear that, firstly, he hadn't informed my office as he had stated in the committee today and, secondly, there were no findings that he found with regard to this matter. What I was saying—and I recall it now—was that at the heart of this issue were allegations by those opposite, repeated in the media, that there was a grand scandal underway where there was data harvesting by the NationBuilder program. The NationBuilder program—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Brown interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Playford!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Try to keep some of you in the chamber today. It would be terrible if you all had to leave.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Kaurna!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: The reality is that we used the NationBuilder program when in opposition to distribute our press releases to people who wanted to receive those press releases, mainly the media. On coming into government we continued to use the NationBuilder system to distribute those media releases.

Mr Odenwalder: Are you defending this? Are you really defending this?

The SPEAKER: Member for Elizabeth!

Mr Odenwalder: You are going to defend this here?

The SPEAKER: The member for Elizabeth is called to order.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Of course, sir, as you would be more than aware, on coming to government we continued to use the NationBuilder program to distribute those media releases.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Kaurna!

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

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

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: It is quite incredible, the fantasy that goes on in the collective minds of the opposition here in South Australia.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Playford is called to order.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: We've heard this before from the opposition. They made outrageous claims against the—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —Keolis Downer contract. That was one of the other great scandals of monumental proportions that the member for West Torrens came in here spouting on about. Of course, there was no issue there whatsoever; in fact, the Ombudsman found it was conducted perfectly in accordance—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Wright!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —with the way it was meant to be conducted—

Mr Boyer interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Wright is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Sir, I just direct those opposite to read the Ombudsman's clarifying publication that he made subsequent to appearing at the parliamentary committee earlier today.

The SPEAKER: Before I call the leader—and I am conscious that I'm playing a bit of catch-up here myself—I call to order the member for Chaffey, I call to order the Minister for Education, I warn the member for Playford, I call to order the member for Kaurna and the member for Lee, and I call to order the Deputy Premier.

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