Tasmanian Ombudsman investigates Hobart City Council

Councillor Louise Elliot

Tasmania’s Ombudsman has launched an investigation into claims Hobart City Council and Lord Mayor breached privacy laws by tipping off transgender activists about a proposed “women’s rights” event.

After a preliminary assessment, the Ombudsman has appointed a senior investigator to probe a complaint by councillor Louise Elliot.

Ms Elliot alleges her private request to book the Town Hall ballroom for an event featuring trans rights critics was leaked to activists so they could mobilise against it. She alleges this conduct, including text messages by lord Mayor Anna Reynolds, breached the council’s information privacy policy and the state Personal Information Protection Act.

Both prohibit the use of personal information for any purpose other than that for which it was collected, and the act prohibits its misuse, unauthorised access or disclosure.

The Ombudsman’s preliminary assessment is understood to have examined text messages and emails obtained by Ms Elliot under Rights to Information Laws. Text messages show Ms. Reynolds informed Equality Tasmania spokesman Rodney Croome about Ms. Elliot’s proposed booking and urged him to make representations to the council’s CEO.

On November 14, Ms Reynolds- an advocate for transgender rights- texted Mr. Croome to informed him “(British trans rights critic) Posie Parker is coming back to Hobart”.

Ms Reynolds appears to have mistakenly believe Ms Elliot’s proposed forum was to feature Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, also known as Posie Parker. Instead, it was to feature other critics of trans activism, including Moira Deeming and Katherine Deves.

Mr Croome asked Ms Reynolds: “How do you know?”, to which she replied: “I know because she is planning to book Town Hall … Louise is making early enquiries … You may like to reach out to acting CEO Jacqui Allen to touch base on the issues broadly. Your prespectives and experience might be helpful.”

Ms Reynolds texted Ms Allen’s email address to Mr Croome, who email Ms Allen the following day to say: “I have had contact from the Lord Mayor who asked me to talk to you about the conduct of a Posie Parker'(sic) visit”

Mr Croome later texted Ms Allen to say: “The LM called me after my email to say that may not be the best medium (although she did suggest it)”.

Ms Elliot, who advocates for “female-only” sports, services and spaces that exclude transwomen, said her privacy had been breached in a rush to tip-off activists.

“There was no legitimate reason for the Lord Mayor to be provided with the information about my booking” she said. “Booking a venue is an operational activity I undertook in a private capacity using my private email.

“All I had on my booking form was ‘women’s rights and free speech event’. Somehow the Lord Mayor was informed and then 19 people inside and outside the organization became aware of my attempt to book the Town Hall. My personal information was spread clearly with the purpose to activate lobbying”.

Ms Reynolds and the HCC declined to comment.

Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Commissioner already is investigating whether the HCC discriminated against Ms Elliot by frustrating her booking. It also has emerged that emails suggesting Ms Elliot’s booking was “blocked” by HCC staff were withheld from release under RTI, in conduct the council’s chief legal officer alleged could be potentially “criminal”.

Source: The Australian

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