A Serious Breach of Trust
Independent MLC Ruth Forrest has raised serious concerns about a potential leak within the Tasmanian government. She claims that an internal email containing her private health-related information was shared with a media outlet, leading to public scrutiny and personal distress.
During a session in the Legislative Council on Wednesday night, Ms Forrest explained that she had sent a “routine, courteous, administrative communication” to the Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPAC) at 10:32 am. The email was a simple request from her role as Chair of the Estimates Committee A. She asked ministers and departmental staff to avoid wearing strong fragrances during upcoming hearings, citing previous adverse reactions experienced by herself and others.
Ms Forrest expressed confusion when she received a call from Pulse Tasmania a few hours later asking about the email. “I was a bit caught short and off guard,” she admitted.
She clarified that the email was an internal communication between parliamentary and executive staff in DPAC. “When did it become OK to release such communication to the media?” she questioned. “Never. It was not a press release; it was not a matter of public controversy.”
Ms Forrest emphasized that the leak appeared to come from someone connected to the government. “Someone who saw fit to hand it to a media outlet, someone who thought it was reasonable to send private committee communications to the media,” she said.
She then questioned the purpose of the leak. “To embarrass me? To mock a legitimate health-related request?” she asked. “How low will they stoop?”
Expectation of Privacy and Respect
Ms Forrest stressed that members of parliament are entitled to expect private communications concerning their health and personal needs to be treated with dignity and discretion. “The fact that this was sent to the media speaks not of any failing on my part or my committee secretary’s part, but to the pettiness and disrespect of whoever thought this was worth doing,” she said.
She described the incident as disrespectful, inappropriate, and a breach of trust. “This was disrespectful, inappropriate, breaches the trust of members of the committee I chair, as well as myself, and my committee secretary. And I fear it was intended to minimise and trivialise a genuine health matter as well as to humiliate me.”
Ms Forrest demanded an apology and called for the person responsible to be exposed. “I call on the government, and I expect the leader will take this forward, to identify and name who was responsible and to explain to this House why a confidential internal email ended up in the hands of the media,” she said.
She also requested a formal and public apology to members of the committee and herself, as well as to the committee secretary.
Clarifying the Situation
Ms Forrest made it clear that her criticism was not directed at Pulse Tasmania. “They were doing their job,” she said. “They get an email from someone in the government that looks like news, so they report it, and they call me for comment.”
Minister Guy Barnett was asked about the matter at a press conference the next morning. Mr Barnett stated that it would be “problematic” for him to comment without having seen Ms Forrest’s email to parliamentarians himself. “I haven’t seen the letter, I haven’t heard what was said last night, I’ve only heard about that this morning, I can’t comment on it any further,” he said.
He acknowledged that media receive information from various sources. When asked if he would apologise to Ms Forrest, he responded, “I haven’t seen the letter, so no further comment.”
