Brooks email audit in limbo

AN AUDIT of a business email account at the centre of Adam Brooks’ downfall as a minister remains in limbo — 15 months after his resignation from Cabinet.

Mr Brooks’ short-lived career as mining minister ended last June when he resigned over a “perception of a conflict of interest” between his business interests and his portfolio.

His resignation followed his appearance in budget estimates, where he denied three times he still had an email with his mining services company, before correcting the record to say he did.

Mr Brooks said the email was for personal use only. He was stood down by Premier Will Hodgman and resigned from Cabinet three days later.

Mr Hodgman pledged that the Crown Solicitor would audit the use of the email account, a process he expected would take “some weeks”.

It’s now been a year since Mr Hodgman announced the email audit was on hold due to legal issues relating to Mr Brooks’ divorce. There has been no progress on the audit since.

Mr Brooks was the Liberals’ No.1 vote-winner in Braddon in 2014 and will recontest the next state election, due in March.

Shadow Treasurer Scott Bacon said Mr Hodgman must guarantee the audit would take place before the election.

“The Premier has said himself that Mr Brooks won’t be eligible to serve on the front bench until the audit is completed,” Mr Bacon said.

“Will Hodgman needs to explain how he intends to progress the audit. It’s been nearly 15 months since the process was announced.

“By allowing this to drag on the Premier is letting down the Parliament, the people of Braddon and Mr Brooks himself.”

Labor’s refusal to let the email issue go was labelled “silly muckraking” by Deputy Premier Jeremy Rockliff.

Mr Rockliff said the audit remained in abeyance due to Mr Brooks’ divorce proceedings.

He said as the state approached an election, the issue was not high on the agenda for Tasmanians, who were more interested in what the Government was doing to improve health and education.

“When this Government is fixing Labor’s problems all Labor can talk about is their silly muckraking about an email audit of Mr Brooks,” he said.