Tasmanian independent MLC Ruth Forrest has demanded an apology and an investigation after she claims a private email containing a health related request was leaked within hours of being sent.
Forrest, who chairs the Legislative Council’s Estimates Committee A, told parliament on Wednesday that a “routine, courteous, administrative communication” was sent through proper parliamentary channels at 10:32am that morning.
The email asked that ministers and departmental staff avoid wearing strong fragrances to upcoming budget estimates hearings.
“I and some others have experienced adverse reactions in the past to these strong fragrances, perfumes and aftershaves,” she said.
Pulse Tasmania published a story about the email on Thursday, after receiving an anonymous tip-off and subsequently contacting Forrest.
Forrest told Pulse the request wasn’t about banning all fragrances but about being considerate of others in a confined space.
She stressed the email was an internal communication between parliamentary and executive staff in the Department of Premier and Cabinet.
“When did it become OK to release such communication to the media?” she told parliament after receiving a call from a Pulse journalist.
“It was not a press release, it was not a matter of public controversy.”
Forrest said the leak was a breach of trust and questioned its purpose.
“To embarrass me? To mock a legitimate health-related request?” she said.
“This was disrespectful, inappropriate, breaches the trust of members of the committee I chair, as well as myself, and my committee secretary.”
She said she feared the leak “was intended to minimise and trivialise a genuine health matter” and to “humiliate” her.
Forrest made clear her criticism was not aimed at this news outlet.
“They were doing their job,” she told parliament.
“They get an email from someone in the government that looks like news, so they report it, and they call me for comment.”
She has called on the government to identify who was responsible and to issue a formal public apology to her, committee members and the committee secretary.
“How low will they stoop?” she said.
Minister Guy Barnett was asked about the matter this morning but said it’d be “problematic” to comment without having seen the email himself.
“I haven’t seen the letter, I haven’t heard what was said last night, I’ve only heard about that this morning, I can’t comment on it any further,” Barnett said.
Asked whether he’d apologise to Forrest, he said only that he hadn’t seen the letter and offered no further comment.
