Ministerial Staff

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:27): I rise to talk about two things. One, the most secretive government in this state's history, the Jay Weatherill Labor government, and in particular I refer to the most recent example of their refusal to publicise, as they normally do, in the Government Gazette in the first week of July the list of a considerable number of ministerial staffers and spin doctors in ministers' offices. That list of all staffers under ministerial contract, with their salaries, is generally provided in the Gazette in the first week of July. We are now into August and there is still no sign of it.

I am advised that Mr Weatherill has made the decision to put it off until after the parliament gets up tomorrow. One can only assume that he is either embarrassed at what is going to be revealed in that list, either by the people who have been appointed or indeed the salary increases that have been given to some staffers under the guise of restructured job titles within some ministers' offices, in particular his own.

The second point in relation to that is that, again, I have been seeking a list, under freedom of information, of all staff within ministerial offices, just not those under ministerial contract. I keep getting refusals from ministers' offices on the basis that it has been referred to the Premier's office. The Premier's office, of course, is not responding and no list has been provided in relation to the staff who have been appointed in ministers' offices after the state election.

I also asked questions, as you would be well aware, last year in relation to the mysterious disappearance of Mr Peter Hoppo from minister O'Brien's office as chief of staff and the unusual circumstances which we understand relate to his removal from that office and transfer to another ministerial office. Again, that question was put in May of last year and there is still no answer from Mr Weatherill or, indeed, any other minister in relation to the explanation of the circumstances in relation to Mr Hoppo's dismissal from that chief of staff position.

The second issue I want to raise relates to Speaker Atkinson and a story at the weekend about the actions he has taken against various constituents who say unkind things about him on Facebook and other social media. Can I say the outset that anyone who makes false or defamatory statements on social media obviously leaves themselves open to action from Speaker Atkinson or, indeed, anyone else.

I must say that the examples that have been given in the article that Speaker Atkinson has described as 'gratuitous personal insults' may well be personal insults but, whilst I am not a lawyer, they seem to me far short of what would normally be deemed to be defamation in a court of law. They are certainly unsavoury, where someone has said, 'You'll be dead soon and there will be a big party.' I am not sure whether that is defamation; it may well be that it could be deemed a threat under some other legal action that could be taken. Someone called him a douche bag and a variety of other unpleasant descriptions.

It would appear that Speaker Atkinson is using these 'cause notices', as he has describes them, as a form of intimidation to stop criticism or personal abuse of him. Most of us, Mr President, you included, I suspect, have had your fair share of personal abuse. We accept that as part of the toing and froing of politics. Certainly, I have also had my fair share.

However, I guess the advantage Speaker Atkinson has, as we have seen in previous legal actions, is that, if required, he has the capacity to bring in the big guns, such as now Chief Justice Kourakis and others, who have in the past been able to support him pro bono in some legal actions he may have taken. Of course, that is not available to many of us—Mr President, perhaps yourself included—in relation to actions we may be able to take on issues of defamation. I have not had my 30-second wrap-up yet; is that about to come soon?

The PRESIDENT: I will give you 30 seconds.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Thank you, Mr President; I was waiting for it. I need to make a conclusion. I indicate that at some future time I will raise a range of issues in relation to defamation actions that have been taken against Speaker Atkinson and place those on the record in terms of what the total cost to taxpayers has been.