SA Government ministers fight to keep identities of staff secret due to ‘threats to personal safety’

SOUTH Australia’s Ombudsman has rejected suggestions ministerial staff would be put in danger if their titles and job descriptions were released to the public.

• New Freedom of Information rules will deny applicant any advantage

SOUTH Australia’s public sector watchdog has dismissed concerns that staff working for government ministers would be put in danger if their titles and job descriptions were released to the public.

SA Ombudsman Wayne Lines has called for the Weatherill government to release the names and job descriptions of staff in ministerial offices, rejecting claims it would be too “dangerous” to do so.

Despite representations from the Chiefs of Staff for the Premier Jay Weatherill, and Ministers Leon Bignell and Martin Hamilton-Smith, Mr Lines has ruled in favour of the State Opposition who wants to monitor staff movements in the lead-up to the state election.

Each year, details of senior ministerial staff are outlined in the Government Gazette but the list does not include all staff employed in ministerial offices

For years, the Opposition has been able to obtain a staff directory outlining all staff through Freedom of Information requests.

However, this year the State Government have pushed back, triggering a 12-month arm wrestle with the Opposition over the release of the details.

In a letter sent to Opposition treasury spokesman Rob Lucas Minister, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Stephen Mullighan, writing on behalf of the Government, said disclosure of their identities as employees of the office to the public “could endanger the life or physical safety of these individuals”.

In an external review, Mr Lines said the role of front-facing staff in ministers’

offices is not substantially different from the role of customer service staff in other agencies and business units, in terms of requiring staff to liaise with members of the public, who are often disgruntled and angry.

“For example staff in emergency departments, ambulance officers, staff of the Public Trustee,

Fines Enforcement and Recovery Unit and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions are frequently required to deal with members of the public who display difficult behaviours.”

Mr Lucas accused the Weatherill Labor Government of being the most secretive Government in the state’s history.

“Mr Weatherill, his Ministers and his whole Government are simply obsessed with secrecy and this case demonstrates what ridiculous lengths they will go to prevent the release of information which might embarrass them,” Mr Lucas said.

“They have fought for almost 12 months against the release of the names of all the staff employed in the Ministers’ office.

“Mr Weatherill employs almost 300 staff in Ministers’ offices and over the years they have included former Labor candidates, MPs, supporters and family members of Labor MPs.

“Mr Weatherill should now accept this decision of the independent umpire and not waste even more taxpayers’ money by appealing the decision to the courts.”

A spokesman said the State Government was considering the ruling.

“Threats have been made against some public servants, and so the Government is currently working through how to abide by the Ombudsman’s ruling while also protecting the safety of staff,” the spokesman said.