Editorial: Transparency just so vital

EDITORIAL: Premier Will Hodgman should have been more upfront about his relationship with Tasmania’s newest Supreme Court judge.

Lawyer Guy Abel has a chat with Attorney-General and Premier Will Hodgman before new Supreme Court judge Gregory Geason’s swearing in ceremony Picture: SAM ROSEWARNE

TASMANIA is a small place, and the personal connections we have with each other are among the many things that make this state so special and unique. Unlike in the bigger cities, most of us here share one degree of separation — and our professional and personal lives are forever colliding, even if that’s sometimes a bit awkward.

Premier Will Hodgman — the son of a prominent local barrister — was born and educated in Hobart, earned a degree in arts and law at the University of Tasmania, and was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court a year after he graduated. He has been an MP for 15 years.

It’s not surprising, then, that Mr Hodgman knows personally most of the senior members of Tasmania’s legal fraternity. It would be ignorant to think otherwise.

One of those the Premier knows well is the state’s newest Supreme Court judge, Gregory Geason — a fellow UTAS law graduate with more than 30 years experience in civil and criminal matters in both state and federal courts. Justice Geason was also Mr Hodgman’s best man at his wedding 18 years ago.

The Mercury is not suggesting any impropriety.

It is clear that Justice Geason is eminently qualified for the role, with a resume that even as dot points runs to several hundreds of words. Since his admission in 1987, Justice Geason has practised both privately and within the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Among many other roles, he has been president of the Law Society of Tasmania and Criminal Injuries Compensation Commissioner — and relinquished his roles as chairman of both the Resource Management and Planning Appeal Tribunal and the Parole Board of Tasmania to take his position on the bench.

As the Premier, acting in his role as Attorney-General, noted in his speech at Thursday’s ceremonial sitting to mark Justice Geason’s appointment, his “breadth of experience and skills is evident ... (and) you are both widely liked and respected by the profession”.

Mr Hodgman also rightly put on record during his speech the fact that the Governor Kate Warner was a senior lecturer at the law school when Justice Geason attended as a student. What Mr Hodgman failed to acknowledge (without being asked) on Thursday — or at any other time publicly in recent weeks — was his own personal friendship with Justice Geason.

That was a misstep. There is nothing wrong with your personal life and your professional life colliding. Every Tasmanian knows all too well that can’t be avoided. But transparency is vital in a democracy.

The Premier acted with noble integrity during the selection process. As the Mercury reported on its front page yesterday, he delegated the recommendation of a new judge to his Justice Minister — and absented himself from all relevant Cabinet deliberations. The Government sought expressions of interest which were then evaluated by a selection panel — and Justice Geason was then recommended.

But by not taking the opportunity on Thursday (until the Mercury asked) to publicly disclose his personal ties to Justice Gleason, Mr Hodgman erred.

His office asks if the Premier should provide a list of all his friends when their worlds collide. In the interests of ensuring public confidence in our state institutions, the Mercury would respond: Yes, Mr Premier, when it comes to such senior appointments, perhaps you should — even if that’s sometimes a bit awkward.