Hansard 18 April 1996
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Legislative Assembly 637 18 April 1996 THURSDAY, 18 APRIL 1996 This extraordinary action raises a number of serious questions. The first is the nature of the decision making itself, which is unacceptable. I have today instructed the Mr SPEAKER (Hon. N. J. Turner, Nicklin) immediately concerned Ministers—the Deputy read prayers and took the chair at 9.30 a.m. Premier and Treasurer and the Minister for Public Works and Housing—to advise that the Office Systems Management unit manager of PAPER CITEC and the Director of the Ministerial The following paper was laid on the Services Branch are requested to go on leave table— immediately pending a full investigation of the circumstances surrounding the extraordinary Minister for Health (Mr Horan)— action of their agencies. Secondly—— Scope of Nursing Practice— Discussion Opposition members interjected. Paper. Mr BORBIDGE: I wonder what members opposite had to do with this! MINISTERIAL STATEMENT Secondly, and very much related, is the Government Computer System question of the security of computer systems Hon. R. E. BORBIDGE (Surfers within ministerial offices—within my office and Paradise—Premier) (9.31 a.m.), by leave: the Treasurer's office and, indeed, throughout Yesterday afternoon, after the Minister for Government. I make the point that it has now Police, Corrective Services and Racing had been revealed that CITEC, as part of the detailed to the Parliament certain abuses of a same decision with the Ministerial Services computer by staff of the former Minister for Branch, has taken it upon itself to access not Police and Corrective Services in his then once but twice all the ministerial computers of ministerial office, there was an invasion of the the current Government. Minister's computer system. Files referred to A computer system which is open to such by the Minister in his statement yesterday unilateral tampering is an extremely were deleted from the system. There is dangerous system. A system in which people currently concern that files belonging to the may reach into a Minister's office—into any current Minister may have been accessed and Government office—and excise data at will is a deleted. system in which data can be viewed at will and There was no reference to the Minister for altered at will. It is obviously a system capable Police, Corrective Services and Racing before of the most serious abuse. An obvious this action was taken. There was no reference example is the ability to intrude into computers to the Minister for Public Works and Housing, within the Premier's office, the Cabinet office, from whose department the action was taken. the Treasurer's office, the Police Minister's There was no reference to the Deputy Premier office and the Attorney-General's office. It may and Treasurer, who is responsible for the also mean that there could be access to any Ministerial Services Branch, which was also State Government computer, including sensitive material such as health files, financial apparently involved in this decision. The transactions and other confidential data. Minister for Police, Corrective Services and Certainly, via the ministerial and departmental Racing became aware of this action last night systems, there could be access to Cabinet after officers again sought to access files submissions. referred to yesterday. As I indicated earlier, I am advised that, An Opposition member interjected. further to the invasion of the Police Minister's Mr BORBIDGE: The member will learn computer system, CITEC has taken it upon something. itself to carry out similar deletions in relation to It was subsequently established—and this all ministerial offices. That advice was provided should cause concern for members on both by CITEC yesterday evening after it had visited sides of the House—that the missing files were the ministerial computer system. I understand deleted by the Office Systems Management that subsequently there has been an offer to unit of CITEC on the basis of what has been reconstitute the files deleted from the described as a collective decision by CITEC ministerial offices. Not good enough! and the Ministerial Services Branch to protect I regret to advise the House that I have material which was apparently judged by those grave reservations about the security and the agencies to not be the property of the current integrity of the State Government computer Government. system that we have inherited. It is a system 18 April 1996 638 Legislative Assembly open to abuse and overall control of power on the white horse of accountability, Government processes, and this Government wrote to Ruth Matchett and said— will not tolerate it. Therefore, in addition to my "Dear Ruth, advice today to the most concerned Ministers in relation to leave for two senior officers, the I now advise that I have determined Government will carry out an independent that a further one month's extension be audit of the security of Government computer approved until 13 August 1995." systems to reduce the potential for tampering. Twenty days. He continued— I will advise the House further of developments "I have come to this decision on the in regard to this course of action. understanding that you are agreeable that this extension also provides the final MINISTERIAL STATEMENT termination date of your contract and that your Minister, Anne Warner, is fully aware Ms R. Matchett of your intended voluntary departure." Hon K. R. LINGARD (Beaudesert— It is those words, "of your intended voluntary Minister for Families, Youth and Community departure", that I emphasise. As all members Care) (9.37 a.m.), by leave: Yesterday in the know, if one's contract is terminated Parliament, I gave details of a gift of $91,000 involuntarily, one is open to receive severance given by the ALP Government to remove Ruth pay and a much larger superannuation. Matchett and replace her with Jacki Byrne. I table today details of that transaction, which Let us examine what happened on 21 show a payment of $91,750 which was clearly July. The then Premier reaches that a gift given to Ruth Matchett when she agreement with Ruth Matchett: "You are going finished as director-general. on 13 August; it is voluntary; and you are about to leave." However, the ALP had to When the payment of $91,750 was work out how to pay Ruth Matchett a gift of instructed to be made, quite rightly the public $91,750, because the pay officers were saying servants involved—the pay clerks—questioned to the PSMC, "This is not right." The Crown it. In response to questions to bodies such as Solicitor was saying, "This is not right." So the PSMC, the pay clerks received this what had to be done? Within six or seven statement— days of the then Premier's giving that letter to "It has been advised that the Premier Ruth Matchett, the then Premier and Ruth was feeling generous, and it was his Matchett signed a very special agreement on decision in respect of the 20 years of 3 August, which was seen to be a termination. service that Ruth be afforded the He had given her an extension of 20 days to termination of the contract." 13 August so she could be paid severance The Premier was feeling generous, so he payments. So she could be given a gift of decided to pay Ruth Matchett $91,750 to $91,750, the then Premier arrives at a special remove her and replace her with the AWU variation of contract, which was basically an person, Jacki Byrne. agreement between Ruth Matchett and the then Premier that her services were Mr T. B. Sullivan interjected. terminated—on 3 August, seven or eight days Mr LINGARD: I will continue and I will after the contract had been signed, and seven tell members the entire details. or eight days before she was to fall over Let us have a look at how Ruth Matchett's naturally on 13 August. That was supposedly contract expired. Ruth Matchett was given a the agreement to give her $91,750. She was three-year contract to expire in June 1995. supposedly terminated by the Government, That contract was extended by three and a bit and she did not leave voluntarily. I will table weeks to end on 13 July 1995—a fair move the letter from the then Premier which states, due to the fact that an election was to be held "You will depart voluntarily." That is what the on 15 July. But let us look at what happened then Premier did to give her that payment of immediately the ALP won Government on 15 $91,750. July and Ruth Matchett was to be replaced by I also remind members of Parliament that Jacki Byrne and Anne Warner was to be that was not legal. The Crown Solicitor, Mr replaced by an AWU person. By 21 July, O'Shea, referred to that matter and said that nothing had been done and the ALP needed Ms Matchett would not be entitled to to give Ruth Matchett a gift. In working out severance payments under her contract of how to give the gift, the then Premier, Wayne employment and it would seem for Goss, the person who supposedly came to superannuation purposes her cessation of Legislative Assembly 639 18 April 1996 employment would not be regarded as an dwindled, blown out on ill-conceived and involuntary termination. poorly managed projects that left the heart of Against all of those recommendations, the industry dead. against the recommendations of the Crown The former Minister supported a grant of Solicitor, against the fact that the then Premier half a million dollars to refurbish the elite signed a document with her seven or eight gentlemen's club, Tattersall's, while the safety days earlier giving her an extension of 20 days of jockeys and horses was being daily to her contract, seven or eight days before her compromised by broken guide rails, damaged contract fell over, the then Premier gave her tracks and substandard safety fencing.