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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2022-02-08 Daily Xml
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COVID-19 Media

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:55): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking questions of the Minister for Health and Wellbeing regarding the COVID-19 pandemic response.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: In March 2021, in between the damning report from the Ombudsman and the most recent commentary from the media about the politicisation of the pandemic response, the ABC reported that SA Health webpages with critical COVID-19 information included embedded redirections via NationBuilder, the Liberal Party's election campaigning database.

The ABC reported, and I quote, 'The links can be found on media releases and across parts of the SA COVID-19 website, as well as on other state government department-run sites.' All this came after the Ombudsman found that SA Health had acted in a party political manner by streaming materials from the Premier's personal website. It came before the daily COVID-19 media conferences that have now been hijacked in the last week by extended 10-minute announcements and ads for the Liberal Party. My questions to the minister are:

1. Can he please explain exactly how the largest department in government, with the greatest responsibility for managing the pandemic, has become under his watch so repeatedly politicised?

2. Can the minister explain the difference between an agency serving the government of the day and actively promoting a political party?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:56): I understand the honourable member is referring to NationBuilder, which was in relation to IT resources of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet. I will refer the honourable member's question to the Premier and see whether he wants to provide a response.

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