Curran stumbles over Gmail use

Embattled minister Clare Curran is struggling to explain her use of a personal email account to conduct government business.

Curran has already been stripped of two of her portfolios after she failed to be upfront about dealings with people related to her portfolios.

Under a tough line of questioning in the House yesterday from National MP Melissa Lee, it was revealed Curran had used a personal Gmail account for official government business.

Formerly the minister of open government, her use of a Gmail account raises questions over the security of government information handled in her office as well as issues of transparency.

Curran stumbled over her answers in Parliament’s debating chamber, as she was forced to admit that government business was conducted on her personal email.

Asked ‘‘what government business she had conducted via her Gmail account’’, Curran appeared flustered and claimed she’d answered the question before.

But the Speaker asked her to answer it directly – she then required Lee to ask it again.

Curran answered: ‘‘To the best of my recollection, um, ah, ah, I haven’t, um, I haven’t used my, um I’ve answered um OIA, ah, ah, OIA responses and personal, um and parliamentary questions correctly.’’