Suburban Rail Loop
Mr DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan—Leader of the Opposition) (12:20): My question is to the Leader of the Government, the Attorney-General, and it concerns the practice of James MacKenzie, chair of the Suburban Rail Loop Authority and chair of Development Victoria, of using a private and distinct email server which is neither controlled nor accessed by government agencies he chairs. Cabinet documents are transmitted via these email addresses. Private communications concerning large government projects are transmitted via his private emails, and I therefore ask the Leader of the Government and Attorney-General: what steps will you take to ensure that the security and probity of government processes are protected with respect to any future criminal or civil legal processes and that evidentiary material is protected and courts would be able to access information on which government decisions were made?
Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:21): Mr Davis, again you just go on record and make statements and then say, ‘What do you say about it?’. It is not a matter for the Attorney-General to be giving comment on the accusations that you have made. I am not involved in the matter involving Mr MacKenzie at all, so you have put me in a very difficult position of being probably not—
Mr Davis interjected.
Ms SYMES: You cannot just make everything my responsibility by asking a question about it. That is not how it works. I cannot give you an answer, because you are not asking me a question that is appropriate for me to delve into the detail of.
Mr DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan—Leader of the Opposition) (12:22): That is a pathetic answer from the minister. But, Minister, corrupt activity is a risk where proper scrutiny is not in place. At the moment the freedom-of-information laws which you administer are being thwarted by Mr MacKenzie and government agencies consequent on his corrupt usage of his private email server, and I therefore ask: what action will you take to ensure—government, through guidelines—that private email servers are not used to hide corrupt deals, contracts and practices?
Members interjecting.
The PRESIDENT: Do you want the answer or not?
Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:23): It is very, very clear that Mr Davis does not care for my answer. I think some of the statements that you made are really inappropriate, and it goes to the motivation of your question. But in relation to it, in terms of the guidelines and the issues you have raised, I will take a look at it.