❓ A Member of Parliament questions the Department of Premier and Cabinet regarding access to and ownership of MP's IT systems and data, particularly concerning subpoenas. The response clarifies access protocols, data ownership, and subpoena procedures.
AnsweredQoN 1558Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the provision of IT services for Members of Parliament by the Department of Premier and Cabinet and ask: (a) Does any officer within the Department have access to the network storage or email systems of Members of Parliament: (i) If so, since 17 March 2017 how many times have these networks been accessed by the Department of Premier and Cabinet and what Member of Parliament's system was access and why; (b) Given the Department hosts the network storage and email systems of Members of Parliament, who is considered the ultimate owner of the information contained or transmitted; and (c) If the Director General received subpoena to grant lawful access to the network storage or email system of a Member of Parliament, would access to this information be granted: (i) If so, would the Director General be obliged under any policy or procedure to inform the Member of Parliament subject to the subpoena?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
8 August 2017
Response time
2 days
(a) Yes. Senior IT support staff responsible for the management of the email and storage systems have administrative access to these systems.
However it is important to note that Parliamentary Electorate Office (PEO) network storage is not retained on any Departmental servers and is stored at the Electorate Office.
(i) Five times. Access was required in each instance following a request by the Member for assistance in resolving IT issues with the account. It is not appropriate to identify specific Members without their permission.
(b) The network storage is not hosted nor is backup provided by the Department.
The Department considers the Member to be the ultimate owner of the information.
(c) Yes.
In such circumstances the Director General would seek legal advice relevant to the specific subpoena and the circumstances of the individual.
(i) No.
However it is important to note that Parliamentary Electorate Office (PEO) network storage is not retained on any Departmental servers and is stored at the Electorate Office.
(i) Five times. Access was required in each instance following a request by the Member for assistance in resolving IT issues with the account. It is not appropriate to identify specific Members without their permission.
(b) The network storage is not hosted nor is backup provided by the Department.
The Department considers the Member to be the ultimate owner of the information.
(c) Yes.
In such circumstances the Director General would seek legal advice relevant to the specific subpoena and the circumstances of the individual.
(i) No.
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