[Greens-Media] MEDIA RELEASE Emblems: Coalition continues culture of secrecy on police bugging scandal

[David Shoebridge]

MEDIA RELEASE

5 December 2014



The NSW government has today refused to produce the NSW Parliament key documents concerning the ongoing NSW police bugging scandal. In two separate reports to the NSW Parliament the government refused to produce the Police Task Force Emblems report as well as the transcript of the Supreme Court hearings at which the controversial warrants were issued.



These documents were sought by the NSW Upper House to assist the work of the Upper House committee enquiring into the police bugging scandal and the 2 year secret investigation being undertaken by the NSW Ombudsman. That inquiry has an open call for submissions.



Greens MP and Justice Spokesperson David Shoebridge said:



"The government doesn't seem to get it that the time for cover-ups is over. Whatever they try and hide now will almost certainly come out in the course of the Upper House inquiry.



"The ongoing secrecy flies in the face of the public's right to know why it is that senior serving police were the subject of continued covert surveillance by other officers.



"The failure to provide answers about how and why these seemingly unlawful warrants were issued is having an ongoing impact at all levels of the NSW police force. The ongoing secrecy is only deepening distrust and division.



"My office has sought to challenge the refusal to produce documents by referring the matter to the Parliament's independent arbiter. But whatever the outcome of that formal challenge this secrecy must and will end," Mr Shoebridge said.



Address to the Governor Reply (SO53 refusal)

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/lc/lctabdoc.nsf/AllTabledPapers/D0161EC72D879D4ACA257DA400275E6E



SO52 Refusal

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/lc/lctabdoc.nsf/AllTabledPapers/EC528E637CF9FCBECA257DA4007B3C38



Inquiry page:

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/conductandprogresscommittee?open&refnavid=LC5_2



David Shoebridge

Greens MP in the NSW Legislative Council

P: (02) 9230 3030 |T: @ShoebridgeMLC<http://twitter.com/#!/shoebridgemlc>

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