Private emails a state secret

PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk is keeping secret which ministers have been using their private emails for ministerial work in a move casting doubt on her accountability pledge.

Ms Palaszczuk yesterday avoided the media after standing aside Minister Mark Bailey following Crime and Corruption Commission revelations the deletion of his private email account may amount to corrupt conduct.

In another blow, the CCC probe found other ministers were also using such emails in what was a corruption risk, although no corrupt conduct had been identified.

Ms Palaszczuk’s office refused to name those ministers, even as Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath admitted the practice was widespread.

Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls last night said the “cover-up” left Ms Palaszczuk’s transparency credibility “in tatters”.

“We already know some ministers have been caught out using their private email accounts … and that flies directly against the rules of the ministerial handbook and against the Premier’s own direction,” he said.

The Bulletin asked every minister whether they had used private email for official work after CCC chair Alan MacSporran told an estimates hearing he knew some ministers were doing it, but did not know who.

Ministers’ offices were directed not to respond, with a central response from Ms Pal- aszczuk’s office instead refusing to detail who had erred.

“From time to time, some ministers have used private email accounts, typically to print or access documents they could not access when at home,” the statement said.

“The CCC has now made it clear that the use of private email addresses for work purposes by any Member of Parliament or public servant lacks transparency.

“In accordance with CCC’s recommendation, the Premier has directed the Department of Premier and Cabinet to develop new, explicit and formal

MINISTERS HAVE BEEN CAUGHT OUT USING THEIR PRIVATE EMAIL ACCOUNTS … THAT FLIES DIRECTLY AGAINST THE RULES OF THE MINISTERIAL HANDBOOK OPPOSITION LEADER TIM NICHOLLS

advice to ministers regarding the requirement they use their ministerial email address.”

Ms D’Ath detailed her private email use in Estimates yesterday, such as printing speeches and documents at home, and indicated she believed many ministers, Opposition frontbenchers and backbenchers had done the same.

State Development Minister Anthony Lynham, Health Minister Cameron Dick and Environment Minister Steven Miles admitted similar use.

Mr Bailey has been stood aside pending the outcome of the investigation and his portfolio split between Treasurer Curtis Pitt and Dr Miles.