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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-03-30 Daily Xml
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NationBuilder

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (15:04): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before addressing a question to the minister for the public sector on the topic of redirection of data.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: As was revealed by the ABC last night, South Australians and other residents, no doubt, of the entire country visiting South Australian government websites for information on anything from road safety to the COVID vaccine rollout are being redirected through stateliberalleader.nationbuilder.com via Mimecast. Indeed, this has raised concerns in the community, and rightly so. In fact, the Treasurer when in opposition stated in the debate on the Public Sector (Data Sharing) Bill back in 2016:

If a premier, with a compliant CEO in the DPC, has access to massive databases of people who have expressed views on political issues, he does not have to give it to his Reggie Martin or his party equivalent. He has that capacity, through that database, to directly provide information to all of those people on a whole variety of issues centrally as the leader of the government and as the premier.

Indeed, the Marshall government is now assuring us that no data has been collected through this redirection, but even if we accept that statement, it does sound like this data is going through Mimecast, which would require data to analyse in order for it to function as a website analytics provider. My questions to the government are:

1. How long was the Mimecast redirection through NationBuilder active for?

2. Which government websites was it applied to?

3. What will the government do in terms of its stated steps that will be taken to ensure that it would no longer occur, for the public record of this council?

4. How can South Australians be sure that the government is now telling them the truth?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (15:07): I certainly believe that the overwhelming majority of South Australians believe the Premier and the assurances that he has given them. They have demonstrated great faith in—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: —the statements—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: —the Premier has made. His leadership—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Treasurer, resume your seat, please. The Hon. Tammy Franks has asked a question. The opposition need to allow her to hear the answer because I can't hear it at the moment. I call the Treasurer.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: As I said, the overwhelming majority of South Australians have great faith in the Premier and I know that the Hon. Ms Franks has free and frank discussions with the Premier. When he gives assurances, I am sure she takes him at his word, whether that be a private discussion or in this case a public assurance that he has given in relation to this particular issue.

I certainly believe that the overwhelming majority of South Australians, and certainly all members of the government, have absolute faith in the assurance that the Premier has given in relation to the issue. He has issued an unequivocal statement on behalf of the government in relation to the issue.

In relation to the specific questions about Mimecast, which as I said the ABC wrongly characterised as something which is being used by the Liberal Party but which has been pointed out is being used by the government, I am happy to get the details on when Mimecast was first utilised by governments and whether it's something that the current government instituted and, indeed, what did it replace under the auspices of the former Labor government.

I am happy to get the specifics of when Mimecast commenced being utilised by the government. I am happy also to get quite a detailed explanation on what Mimecast is actually used for and share all of that quite detailed and specific information—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: —with members in the chamber. The government is unafraid of transparency and accountability—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: —and is always very happy, to the extent that we can, to answer the Hon. Ms Franks' questions, in particular that aspect of this particular question.

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