Number is up

By Melissa Donchi
FORMER Evelyn Labor MP Heather McTaggart is facing an investigation after an anonymous tip-off revealed she had access to her successor’s correspondence.
Last week Liberal MP Christine Fyffe received a note informing her that her faxes were being automatically scanned and emailed to Ms McTaggart.
The typed note, said: “Christine, please be aware that the faxes you are sending are still being read (and sent on to other parties) by the previous member for Evelyn.
“You might wish to talk to IT to ensure this practice stops.”
Now the State Government and Ms McTaggart face an investigation by the State Ombudsman after they failed to notify the Parliamentary information technology department that they still had access to Liberal MP Christine Fyffe’s correspondence.
But Ms McTaggart, now an electorate officer for Forest Hill Labor MP Kirsty Marshall, says she did not use the confidential information for any political gain.
“They were irrelevant faxes and I had nothing to gain from them,” Ms McTaggart said.
“It’s still very common for me to receive correspondence as the (former) member for Evelyn.”
While Ms McTaggart denies forwarding the emails on to anyone in the Government, she said she regularly forwarded them on to the Shire of Yarra Ranges or Ms Fyffe’s office.
However, Ms McTaggart does admit she made an error in judgment in not notifying the IT department at State Parliament to rectify the situation.
“They weren’t addressed to me and I should have advised of it earlier,” Ms McTaggart said.
“I’ve apologised publicly to the member and I’ll cooperate with any inquiry.”
But Opposition leader Ted Baillieu is calling for a full investigation.
“This is a shocking breach of privacy, confidentiality and trust and it cannot be dismissed as simply an error of judgment by John Brumby,” Mr Baillieu said.
“We will be looking to the Ombudsman’s investigation to identify whether material went to Ministers or the Premier’s office and what use has been made of the material.”
Ms Fyffe says the faxes related to constituent issues, statutory declarations, complaints against the council and government departments as well as personal information such as speech notes and letters.
“The fact that these emails have been wrongly received for more than six months, that no attempt was made to notify the Speaker, the Government or myself is completely unethical,” Ms Fyffe said.
“The realisation that it was confidential information must have hit her at some point but she chose not to do anything about it.”
Ms Fyffe flatly denies ever been contacted by Ms Marshall’s office with misdirected constituent inquiries.
Staff from the Ombudsman’s office have already begun their inquiries and are expected to make an announcement to confirm if they will hold a full investigation into the matter.