Senior Victorian ministers want ban on secret recordings in parliament

Two of the state’s most senior ministers are calling for a ban on secret recordings in parliament, saying they have “safety and security” concerns after the Liberal Party’s phone recording scandal.

Two of the state’s most senior ministers have called for a ban on secret recordings inside parliament in the wake of the Liberal Party’s phone recording scandal.

Jaclyn Symes and Mary-Anne Thomas — who is the leader of the Allan government in the upper house and manager of government business in the lower house, respectively — said they were concerned that recording people in secret while at parliament may impact the “safety and security” of people who use the precinct.

At the beginning of Opposition Leader John Pesutto’s bombshell defamation case brought on by exiled by Liberal MP Moira Deeming, it was revealed that deputy leader David Southwick secretly recorded a private meeting.

Jaclyn Symes is concerned that recording people in secret while at parliament may affect ‘safety and security’. Picture: Diego Fedele

Mr Southwick defended his decision to record a crisis meeting with Mrs Deeming about a rally she helped organise which was gatecrashed by saluting neo-Nazis in March 2023.

The senior MP this month told the Federal Court he made a “split moment” decision without telling his colleagues to record the meeting — which was attended by members of the Liberal Party’s leadership team, Mrs Deeming and a media manager.

Mr Southwick said he recorded the meeting to “protect me and the party” because he felt he couldn’t trust Mrs Deeming.

Mr Southwick has since been dogged by the scandal and was repeatedly heckled in parliament by Labor MPs this week.

Under parliamentary standing orders, the use of separate recording equipment — for purposes other than broadcast — is “not permitted unless authorised”.

David Southwick says he recorded the meeting to ‘protect me and the party’. Picture: David Geraghty.

On Tuesday night, Ms Symes and Ms Thomas wrote to the parliament’s presiding officers — upper house president Shaun Leane and lower house speaker Maree Edwards — to call for a clear ban on secret recordings being taken while on the parliamentary precinct.

“I am writing to express the Government’s concerns about recent reports of certain members of the Parliamentary Liberal Party making secret recordings of private meetings with other members of the Parliamentary Liberal Party,” they wrote.

Opposition Leader John Pesutto outside court. Picture: Diego Fedele

Exiled Liberal MP Moira Deeming outside court. Picture: Diego Fedele

“There appears to be a gap in rules relating to secret recordings, that is potentially being exploited by certain members of the Parliamentary Liberal Party against its own members.

“I am concerned about the impact this may have on the safety and security of members, their staff and other workers in the precinct.

“I am therefore asking you to investigate whether the current rules around unauthorised and secret recordings within the precinct are up to date and fit-for-purpose.”

In New South Wales, a person must obtain consent if they are recording someone.

But in Victoria it is not illegal for individuals to record a private conversation.

The government has not said why it only intends to crack down on recordings in parliament rather than making a statewide law change.