A WA parliamentary question seeks details about the Director General of Health's BlackBerry use, particularly regarding correspondence with Brian Burke and its inclusion in a freedom of information request. The Minister provides answers confirming the device's use, cost, network, and inclusion in the FOI search.

AnsweredQoN 540Legislative Council
Asked
28 June 2007
Portfolio
Health

QuestionView source ↗

DIRECTOR GENERAL OF HEALTH - HANDHELD TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEVICE
(1) Does Dr Neale Fong use a handheld telecommunications device such as a BlackBerry or BlueBerry? (2) Is this device paid for by the Department of Health or any state government department or agency? (3) Does this device utilise any IT network other than that of the Department of Health? (4) Was correspondence sent from, and to, this device included in checks for correspondence between Dr Fong and Brian Burke as part of the checks by the Department of Health under the opposition’s freedom of information request? (5) If no to (4), why not; and will the minister table any correspondence between Dr Fong and Brian Burke made from this or similar devices? (6) If no to (5), why not? Hon SUE ELLERY

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. The question that I have is in the name of Hon Norman Moore, but I have an answer to the question nonetheless. (1) Dr Neale Fong has a BlackBerry device. (2) Dr Fong’s BlackBerry was purchased outright by the Department of Health, and he is on an Optus $49.95 capped monthly plan. (3) Incoming and outgoing email traffic using the Department of Health BlackBerry device passes through the department’s email gateway in the same way as though it was sent or received from a Department of Health desktop. BlackBerry email traffic is encrypted and will pass through the relevant carriers, being Telstra and Optus, as well as BlackBerry networks. (4) Yes. (5)-(6) Not applicable.
(2) Is this device paid for by the Department of Health or any state government department or agency? (3) Does this device utilise any IT network other than that of the Department of Health? (4) Was correspondence sent from, and to, this device included in checks for correspondence between Dr Fong and Brian Burke as part of the checks by the Department of Health under the opposition’s freedom of information request? (5) If no to (4), why not; and will the minister table any correspondence between Dr Fong and Brian Burke made from this or similar devices? (6) If no to (5), why not? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. The question that I have is in the name of Hon Norman Moore, but I have an answer to the question nonetheless. (1) Dr Neale Fong has a BlackBerry device. (2) Dr Fong’s BlackBerry was purchased outright by the Department of Health, and he is on an Optus $49.95 capped monthly plan. (3) Incoming and outgoing email traffic using the Department of Health BlackBerry device passes through the department’s email gateway in the same way as though it was sent or received from a Department of Health desktop. BlackBerry email traffic is encrypted and will pass through the relevant carriers, being Telstra and Optus, as well as BlackBerry networks. (4) Yes. (5)-(6) Not applicable.
(3) Does this device utilise any IT network other than that of the Department of Health? (4) Was correspondence sent from, and to, this device included in checks for correspondence between Dr Fong and Brian Burke as part of the checks by the Department of Health under the opposition’s freedom of information request? (5) If no to (4), why not; and will the minister table any correspondence between Dr Fong and Brian Burke made from this or similar devices? (6) If no to (5), why not? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. The question that I have is in the name of Hon Norman Moore, but I have an answer to the question nonetheless. (1) Dr Neale Fong has a BlackBerry device. (2) Dr Fong’s BlackBerry was purchased outright by the Department of Health, and he is on an Optus $49.95 capped monthly plan. (3) Incoming and outgoing email traffic using the Department of Health BlackBerry device passes through the department’s email gateway in the same way as though it was sent or received from a Department of Health desktop. BlackBerry email traffic is encrypted and will pass through the relevant carriers, being Telstra and Optus, as well as BlackBerry networks. (4) Yes. (5)-(6) Not applicable.
(4) Was correspondence sent from, and to, this device included in checks for correspondence between Dr Fong and Brian Burke as part of the checks by the Department of Health under the opposition’s freedom of information request? (5) If no to (4), why not; and will the minister table any correspondence between Dr Fong and Brian Burke made from this or similar devices? (6) If no to (5), why not? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. The question that I have is in the name of Hon Norman Moore, but I have an answer to the question nonetheless. (1) Dr Neale Fong has a BlackBerry device. (2) Dr Fong’s BlackBerry was purchased outright by the Department of Health, and he is on an Optus $49.95 capped monthly plan. (3) Incoming and outgoing email traffic using the Department of Health BlackBerry device passes through the department’s email gateway in the same way as though it was sent or received from a Department of Health desktop. BlackBerry email traffic is encrypted and will pass through the relevant carriers, being Telstra and Optus, as well as BlackBerry networks. (4) Yes. (5)-(6) Not applicable.
(5) If no to (4), why not; and will the minister table any correspondence between Dr Fong and Brian Burke made from this or similar devices? (6) If no to (5), why not? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. The question that I have is in the name of Hon Norman Moore, but I have an answer to the question nonetheless. (1) Dr Neale Fong has a BlackBerry device. (2) Dr Fong’s BlackBerry was purchased outright by the Department of Health, and he is on an Optus $49.95 capped monthly plan. (3) Incoming and outgoing email traffic using the Department of Health BlackBerry device passes through the department’s email gateway in the same way as though it was sent or received from a Department of Health desktop. BlackBerry email traffic is encrypted and will pass through the relevant carriers, being Telstra and Optus, as well as BlackBerry networks. (4) Yes. (5)-(6) Not applicable.
(6) If no to (5), why not? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. The question that I have is in the name of Hon Norman Moore, but I have an answer to the question nonetheless. (1) Dr Neale Fong has a BlackBerry device. (2) Dr Fong’s BlackBerry was purchased outright by the Department of Health, and he is on an Optus $49.95 capped monthly plan. (3) Incoming and outgoing email traffic using the Department of Health BlackBerry device passes through the department’s email gateway in the same way as though it was sent or received from a Department of Health desktop. BlackBerry email traffic is encrypted and will pass through the relevant carriers, being Telstra and Optus, as well as BlackBerry networks. (4) Yes. (5)-(6) Not applicable.
Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. The question that I have is in the name of Hon Norman Moore, but I have an answer to the question nonetheless. (1) Dr Neale Fong has a BlackBerry device. (2) Dr Fong’s BlackBerry was purchased outright by the Department of Health, and he is on an Optus $49.95 capped monthly plan. (3) Incoming and outgoing email traffic using the Department of Health BlackBerry device passes through the department’s email gateway in the same way as though it was sent or received from a Department of Health desktop. BlackBerry email traffic is encrypted and will pass through the relevant carriers, being Telstra and Optus, as well as BlackBerry networks. (4) Yes. (5)-(6) Not applicable.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. The question that I have is in the name of Hon Norman Moore, but I have an answer to the question nonetheless. (1) Dr Neale Fong has a BlackBerry device. (2) Dr Fong’s BlackBerry was purchased outright by the Department of Health, and he is on an Optus $49.95 capped monthly plan. (3) Incoming and outgoing email traffic using the Department of Health BlackBerry device passes through the department’s email gateway in the same way as though it was sent or received from a Department of Health desktop. BlackBerry email traffic is encrypted and will pass through the relevant carriers, being Telstra and Optus, as well as BlackBerry networks. (4) Yes. (5)-(6) Not applicable.
(1) Dr Neale Fong has a BlackBerry device. (2) Dr Fong’s BlackBerry was purchased outright by the Department of Health, and he is on an Optus $49.95 capped monthly plan. (3) Incoming and outgoing email traffic using the Department of Health BlackBerry device passes through the department’s email gateway in the same way as though it was sent or received from a Department of Health desktop. BlackBerry email traffic is encrypted and will pass through the relevant carriers, being Telstra and Optus, as well as BlackBerry networks. (4) Yes. (5)-(6) Not applicable.
(2) Dr Fong’s BlackBerry was purchased outright by the Department of Health, and he is on an Optus $49.95 capped monthly plan. (3) Incoming and outgoing email traffic using the Department of Health BlackBerry device passes through the department’s email gateway in the same way as though it was sent or received from a Department of Health desktop. BlackBerry email traffic is encrypted and will pass through the relevant carriers, being Telstra and Optus, as well as BlackBerry networks. (4) Yes. (5)-(6) Not applicable.
(3) Incoming and outgoing email traffic using the Department of Health BlackBerry device passes through the department’s email gateway in the same way as though it was sent or received from a Department of Health desktop. BlackBerry email traffic is encrypted and will pass through the relevant carriers, being Telstra and Optus, as well as BlackBerry networks. (4) Yes. (5)-(6) Not applicable.
(4) Yes. (5)-(6) Not applicable.
(5)-(6) Not applicable.

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