Group chat used for checking meeting times, saying happy birthday: Minister defends government use of WhatsApp

LEADER of Government Business Natasha Fyles has defended the NT Government’s use of WhatsApp as a means of communicating, saying it is only used for ‘informal’ communication between members.

Leader of Government Business Natasha Fyles has defended the NT Government’s use of WhatsApp as a means of communicating, saying it is only used for ‘informal’ communication between members. Picture: Che Chorley

LEADER of Government Business Natasha Fyles has defended the NT Government’s use of WhatsApp as a means of communicating, saying it is only used for “informal” communication between members.

Speaking to Katie Woolf on Mix 104.9 this morning, Ms Fyles initially said she only used formal government means of communication before saying WhatsApp was used to arrange meetings and for other chatter.

“I certainly make sure I use the appropriate channels of the NT Government email address for formal correspondence in making sure we have that record of important matters,” she said.

“(WhatsApp is) around making sure everyone in a group has the trivial things, what time a meeting is starting, where people need to be, wishing someone a happy birthday, versus those formal processes that are used, a cabinet process, the NTG process and the brief and reply process … they are used by members of this government.”

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Ms Fyles also defended the use of the specific app, which has encryption capabilities to ensure messages can’t be read at a later date.

“Formal information always goes through the NT Government email addresses and formal briefs,” she said.

“There is that whole system of correspondence around that and FOI laws around that so if people believe they need to know something they can go through that process.”

Ms Fyles said it wasn’t up to her or the government as to the Speaker’s role as an elected member.

“It’s the Speaker’s role we’ve asked her to resign from,” she said.

“(Resignation as an elected member) would be a question for Kezia.”

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Also speaking to Woolf, Territory Alliance leader Terry Mills also confirmed he used WhatsApp.

“I use WhatsApp but there’s certainly not very much official stuff going on from my role,” he said.