Lucas dodges council email scandal
Ken Vernon | August 5th, 2011
AN urgent investigation into the interception of that city councillors’ emails by council bureaucrats could see top officials losing their jobs or even jailed.
But Deputy Premier and Local Government Minister Paul Lucas said the intercepts were `essentially an internal matter for the council to resolve in the absence of any significant breach of the Local Government Act’.
According to Gold Coast criminal lawyer Bill Potts, the council may have no choice but to report the matter to police.
“Such actions are offences under both the Privacy Act and the Telecommunications Act and criminal charges laid against council officials could result in jail terms if they are found guilty.”
He said the council could also be liable for damages to people whose privacy was breached when their emails were intercepted.
He said the CMC also had the power to independently investigate and while suspects had the right to refuse to answer questions from the police, the CMC had coercive power to force them to answer.
Yesterday Mayor Ron Clarke ordered an inquiry into the email interceptions with a report to be presented to Council on Monday.
The council’s communications department yesterday refused to say whether the interception operation was still in effect.
“Well, I can only assume it has stopped,” Cr Clarke said. “It better be.”
Glen Eira Debates 
September 30, 2011 at 7:33 PM
Whoopeeeeee! Newton & Burke up for invasion of privacy. Can’t wait!
September 30, 2011 at 10:16 PM
Anonymous what are you saying?
October 1, 2011 at 9:13 AM
I think that you will find that all Councillors have agreed that all their mail (all sorts) be opened by the staff. This is probably the practise right across Australia. It certainly is for Ministers in a State Gov. I wouldn’t get too worked up about this. Just write to any of the Councillors and ask them. And another thing. Don’t take Queenslanders too seriously.
October 1, 2011 at 11:30 AM
I don’t think that you’re correct anon. Councils all throughout Australia have their own policies which differ considerably.
October 1, 2011 at 3:51 PM
Ask the councillors. If they didn’t want the staff to open their mail then it wouldn’t happen. This says more about the councillors than the staff.
October 1, 2011 at 5:43 PM
Ask the Councillors. It says more about the Councillors than the staff. Some of the Councillors may not know how to open their emails. A few say nothing so anything is possible.
October 1, 2011 at 1:44 PM
The issue is hotting up – here’s some more:
Warringah Council surveillance queried
Council
23 Sep 11 @ 05:30pm by Carleen Frost
WARRINGAH Council has been asked to provide information on any surveillance it conducts on its staff or elected councillors.
Cr Virginia Laugesen has requested information on any monitoring of council representatives via email, text message, voicemail or closed circuit television.
Cr Laugesen has also asked if staff and councillors were aware of the surveillance and if the council relied on the practice for disciplinary action.
Her questions about surveillance join others about staff redundancy packages which are expected to be tabled at next week’s council meeting.
Cr Vincent De Luca has also submitted questions about staffing matters including information on cases before the NSW Industrial Relations Commission and the NSW Workers Compensation Commission.
He has also requested information on redundancies and staff terminations.
Both Crs Laugesen and De Luca declined to discuss their questions further with the Manly Daily today.
A council spokeswoman refused to reveal how many matters, if any, were currently before the Industrial Relations or Workers Compensation commissions or have been in the last year.
“This material is the subject of Questions on Notice by Councillors Virginia Laugesen and Vincent De Luca and the answers will be provided at the council meeting in October,” she said.
October 2, 2011 at 1:58 PM
Surveillance of councillors is one thing. Surveillance of the public is another. Council must be totally honest and upfront in what it does and how it stores certain information. There should be a clear statement on every single page of the website so that people know exactly what is going on and are then free to make the decision whether or not they want to email councillors, ring them or whatever.
October 2, 2011 at 5:51 PM
Colin, that is a super idea, its good to know that any communications with your councillors is in fact between you and them, and not with Mr or Mrs Nosey bureaucrat. This may also explain why some email go missing.