Legislative Council, Wednesday 27 May 2026
Ms FORREST (Murchison) – Mr. President, I rise on adjournment after having listened to the contribution of the member for Rumney which is quite disturbing and raises concerns about code of conduct matters.
Sadly, mine goes to that point as well.
I rise to ask a very simple question: who in this government shared a private internal email containing personal health related information with Pulse Tasmania news. I say this not as a criticism of Pulse news. They were doing their job. They get an email from someone in the government that looks like news, so they report it and they call me for comment.
I was contacted by Pulse media during the lunch break. I didn’t take the call right away and I just called back as I left the meeting I was in. And I did speak to them at the time, so I’m well aware that the story is out there, though I haven’t seen anything on their site as yet.
But what I want to be very clear about is what actually happened here. The email in question was a routine, courteous administrative communication ‑ a request sent through proper parliamentary channels at 10:32 this morning. It was a simple request on my behalf as the Chair of the Estimates Committee A, asking that ministers and departmental staff refrain from wearing strong fragrances to the upcoming hearings, given that I and some others have experienced adverse reactions in the past to these strong fragrances, perfumes and aftershaves. I know I’m not alone in this.
I was quite confused when I took the call as I thought the call was from Pulse news, but the way in which the matter was raised made me think it must be someone from the government seeking some clarification about the request we had made.
So, I was a bit caught short and off-guard and then realised refusing to comment would have likely led to a story that I would have had no say in what was reported. So, I did comment and I provided a brief, overarching comment that related to this and I what I believe was a reasonable and respectfully asked request.
This email was sent by our Committee Secretary at my request and responded to by a member of the Premier’s staff who is the committee contact regarding Estimates committee business. It was an internal communication between parliamentary and executive staff. When did it become okay to release such communication to the media?
It was not a press release. It was not a matter of public controversy. And yet someone, and I would like to know who and who authorised this ‑ it is obviously someone connected to this 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.
And I ask not only who, but why? What was the purpose ‑ to embarrass me? To mock a legitimate health-related request? If so, that tells a great deal about the character of those involved.
Was it done to undermine a genuine, respectful, legitimate request from a parliamentary committee?
Members of this place are entitled to expect private communications concerning their health and personal needs to be treated with basic dignity and discretion. Surely, Mr President, the fact that this was sent to the media speaks not on any failing on my part or my committee Secretary’s part, but to the pettiness and disrespect to whoever thought that this was worth doing. 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 was intended to minimise and trivialise a genuine health matter as well as to humiliate me.
Ms Thomas – And distract from a bad Budget.
Ms Webb – Anything to throw out to distract.
Ms FORREST – Anything.
I wonder, and I now ask after listening to the member for Rumney as well, how low will this government go, how low will they stoop? 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. I also ask for a formal and public apology to me, and members of the committee, and to the committee secretary.