Deputy Premier Guy Barnett has branded Labor’s pursuit of answers over former minister Madeleine Ogilvie’s taxpayer-funded legal fees as “political muckraking”, while the opposition has vowed to keep pushing for transparency.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff has not fronted the media since Ogilvie resigned from the frontbench over a week ago amid accusations she misled Parliament over her involvement in a Supreme Court case.
The details of that case remain shielded from the public.
Asked when he or Cabinet were told Ogilvie was seeking taxpayer funds for legal fees, Barnett deflected.
“In terms of this matter, it is complex,” he said.
“There’s confidentiality matters. There’s a matter before the Supreme Court of Tasmania as we speak.”
He said Ogilvie “will make it clear in terms of what she can say once she’s legally able to do so”.
Barnett dismissed Labor’s line of questioning and urged the opposition to shift focus.
“I think it’s political muckraking from the Labor Party,” he said.
“They are focused on things that are not necessarily as important to the Tasmanian public.”
Labor hit back hard, with leader Josh Willie saying the government was running from accountability.
“Premier Rockliff continues to remain in hiding,” Willie said.
“This is a secret legal fee scandal paid for by the Tasmanian taxpayer, covered up by Premier Rockliff and hidden from the parliament.”
Labor said it wasn’t asking the government to breach confidentiality but wanted basic questions answered about when Rockliff approved the legal fees, when Cabinet knew and why Ogilvie wasn’t asked to correct the parliamentary record sooner.
“If we can’t trust the government on this, how can we trust them on health or education or the things that Tasmanians really care about?” Willie said.
Willie said his party would explore parliamentary mechanisms to force greater transparency, including working with crossbenchers.
“There are a whole range of ways,” he said, pointing to options such as ordering the production of documents.
On the premier’s week-long absence from media, Barnett said Rockliff had answered “dozens and dozens” of questions during budget estimates earlier in the week and had spoken publicly at a Council for Economic Development event.
“The premier doesn’t have to be in front of the media each and every day,” he said.
Parliament will return on June 16.
