Victorian Premier orders probe into MPs’ mobile phones in bid to stop leaks

EXCLUSIVE: THE OPPOSITION has slammed Premier Daniel Andrews’ decision to audit the phones of his ministry, claiming it shows he can’t trust his own team.

Daniel Andrews has ­ordered a forensic audit of his own ministers’ mobile phones amid angst over leaking. Picture: Nicole Garmston

THE OPPOSITION has slammed Premier Daniel Andrews’ decision to audit the phones of his ministry, claiming it shows he can’t trust his own team.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said the move was concerning.

“This is an extraordinary vote of no confidence in the government by its own Premier — if he can’t trust his own team, why should we?’’ he said.

“In almost 30 years in politics I have never seen a leader express such a public vote of no confidence in his own team as Daniel Andrews has just done.”

Mr Guy’s comments follow a move by Mr Andrews to conduct a forensic audit of his own ministers’ mobile phones, amid angst over leaking.

But ministers have incredibly ­rebelled against the Premier, last night revealing the unprecedented crackdown.

The Herald Sun can report that in an extraordinary Cabinet meeting yesterday, Mr Andrews informed his team they would be forced to hand over their mobile phones.

Ministers have incredibly ­rebelled against Premier Daniel Andrews. Picture: AAP/Julian Smith

External consultants will be given the task of auditing the devices to find out who leaked an announcement about police numbers to 3AW’s Neil Mitchell.

But the draconian measure was immediately leaked in an act of open mutiny. One minister described the decision as an example of “paranoid Dan”.

Ministers expect the probe to be done by auditors KPMG.

Treasurer Tim Pallas tried to sidestep questions on the issue declining to comment on whether he would hand over his phone to be audited, but backed Mr Andrews.

“I think the Premier is a great guy and I also think if you are a Treasurer and if you are a Minister who wants to deliver good things for the state of Victoria then he is absolutely the person you want to see out there at the front of this government,” he said.

Sports Minister John Eren conceded all ministers “get frustrated from time to time” but said he would never leak from Cabinet.

Mr Eren wouldn’t say whether he would hand his phone over for the audit.

“I don’t discuss any issues relating to the Cabinet, of course that’s in confidence. I never have, I never will,” he said.

“These issues are obviously played out in the media the way that it does, but in relation to any Cabinet decisions that we make that’s obviously... anything that happens in Cabinet is totally in confidence.”

When asked why some ministers were leaking from Cabinet, Mr Eren said: “I’m not sure who you’re talking about, but I know personally as a Minister I don’t engage in any conversations about what happens in Cabinet.”

“There are several instances where many of us get upset about not being able to do their job properly in order to service and protect the community.

“But you know, from time to time I get frustrated about certain things that happen within my portfolio. And that’s purely because we want to do the best we can for Victorians in this state who voted a government in, a government which is proactive, progressive and getting things done.”

The Premier’s tone had been “matter-of-fact” as he announced the Richard Nixon-like move to Cabinet, one minister said.

“It wasn’t a discussion — everyone just sat there gobsmacked,” the minister said.

“Everyone was going ‘WTF just happened’.

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“It wasn’t a conversation — everyone was going ‘Did I just hear that correctly’.”

The minister said there was no announcement about when the audit would take place.

“It was like at some point you’ll get a call,” the minister said.

The minister said it wasn’t clear if the Cabinet intended to comply with the Premier’s order.

“I think there’ll be a lot of ‘go f--- yourselves’,” the minister said.

Another minister said the leak under investigation could have come from anywhere and it was ­unclear if an audit would get the ­desired result. “If they take my phone then so be it,” the minister said.

“I’m not sure it will achieve much — it’s very strange.”

A third minister agreed the move was strange, adding it was also “wholly unprecedented”.

But a fourth minister backed the Premier’s move, giving the leaking that’s going on: “I’m surprised he’s waited until now.”

“I’m not sure what why this has particularly upset him but I don’t really have a problem with it.”

The move is believed to have been prompted by the leaking of a planned government announcement about new police numbers to 3AW’s Neil Mitchell.

Early this month, 3AW claimed it had details of the announcement being prepared by the Andrews Government.

It said there would be 2700 police recruited, costing about $1.67 billion. There would also be 400 specially-trained family violence officers and 100 new protective services officers.

Senior government sources at the time said the information presented by the program sounded “quite specific”.

Those specifics turned out to be remarkably close to the announcement made by Mr Andrews. The move to investigate his own Cabinet follows a tumultuous two years which has seen three ministers either sacked or forced to resign.

Small Business Minister Adem Somyurek was forced out last year after an investigation found he behaved inappropriately to his then-chief of staff.

Jane Garrett resigned from her emergency services portfolio in protest over Mr Andrews’ backing for the United Firefighters Union in its bid for more control over the CFA.

Last month, Corrections Minister Steve Herbert quit after it was revealed he used his ministerial car to ferry his dogs across Victoria.

Ministers have branded the investigation “paranoid” and “bizarre”, but spokeswoman Sabina Husic said: “The government does not comment on Cabinet discussions.”

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