Premier Will Hodgman has deflected a barrage of questions about the relationship between former Minister Sarah Courtney and Dr John Whittington, the head of DPIPWE.
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In Question Time in Parliament on Wednesday, Labor and the Greens asked Mr Hodgman about when the relationship began.
Ms Courtney has stood aside as minister while a review is underway into whether she breached the Ministerial Code of Conduct.
Mr Hodgman said he would not prejudge the review by the head of the state service, Jenny Gale, of all relevant decisions made by Ms Courtney.
“It is appropriate that the decisions are reviewed independently and I am not going to pre-empt the findings or outcome of the review,” he said.
Labor asked how long the relationship had been going on and whether the Auditor-General would investigate any expenses Ms Courtney and Dr Whittington may have claimed during a recent trade mission to Asia.
Mr Hodgman accused Labor of “lacking substance and seriousness” in its questioning.
He said he would take further advice on whether Dr Whittington had told his department colleagues he would spend two days a week in Launceston.
“We plan to relocate 100 DPIPWE staff to the North and North-West so it would seem the sensible thing to spend time where staff are based,” Mr Hodgman said.
The Greens said “every single decision is under a cloud” and asked whether Ms Courtney’s decisions relating to salmon farming and animal welfare – including the deaths of 16 polo horses on the Spirit of Tasmania in January – would be reviewed.
Ms Courtney sat through Question Time and seemed unfazed by the questions.
Dr Whittington is on personal leave until the matters are resolved.
Ms Gale is considering whether a State Service Code of Conduct investigation is required in relation to Dr Whittington.