Jeremy Rockliff admits failings over Madeleine Ogilvie allegations of misleading parliament

Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff says he “dropped the ball” regarding the allegations against a former minister, likening it to a “pile of crap” he has to clean up from “time to time”.

Mr Rockliff said he began looking into whether Liberal MP Madeleine Ogilvie had misled parliament in May, six months after she told a committee she was not involved in a Supreme Court action.

Mr Rockliff said he decided to examine the issue after hearing Ms Ogilvie’s response to a question from the Greens in parliament on budget day last month.

Ms Ogilvie resigned her portfolios and moved to the backbench after accusations she had misled parliament over whether she was subject to any Supreme Court action.

The former minister had told a budget estimates committee back in November that was not a subject to any legal proceeds when she in fact was.

Mr Rockliff has been under pressure from opposition parties and independents since her resignation to reveal what he knew and when.

At a press conference today, he told media he had been made aware in November about Ms Ogilvie’s answer, but he had been advised there had been a clarification.

That clarification was given to a different committee in writing and simply said she was not subject to legal proceedings initiated by another.

“However, I reserve my right to take any action or steps I deem necessary to protect my legal rights at any time,” Ms Ogilvie’s clarification also said.

‘There’s a lot to do in this job’

Mr Rockliff said in “hindsight” he should have “well and truly interrogated that answer further”.

“I didn’t. I regret that, and I apologise for that quite clearly,” Mr Rockliff said.

“There’s a lot to do in this job.

Six months later, on budget day, Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff asked Ms Ogilvie about her legal fees again.

Dr Woodruff: “In budget estimates on 17 November last year, the Greens asked you if you had been a subject or party to any Supreme Court matters in the previous 18 months. Your answer was a simple ‘no’. Do you stand by that statement, or is there any kind of correction you would like to make?”

Ms Ogilvie: “I know you’ve been pursuing the question of legal fees across a range of fronts for a long time. If you would like to ask me anything to do with those, I’m very happy to receive a letter from you. That’s perhaps a better way if you’re seeking particular detail. In relation to legal fees, they’ve all been transparently tabled and processes are always followed.”

It was after this exchange that Mr Rockliff said he sought more “answers”.

“Clearly, the original answer and indeed clarification was not adequate,” he said.

Mr Rockliff said he spoke to his office about the issue and discussed with Ms Ogilvie about her providing a more “fulsome” answer.

On May 28, the Greens again asked her to clarify.

This time, Ms Ogilvie told parliament she was a party to a matter initiated by her.

Within days, she had resigned, escaping an inevitable grilling at estimates hearings.

Meanwhile, Mr Rockliff and his cabinet faced question after question in committee hearings, offering up very little in return due to “legal confidentiality”.

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This was Mr Rockliff’s first press conference since Ms Ogilvie’s resignation.

“There are many, many things that come across my desk and from time to time, like this one,” he said.

Ms Ogilvie is not the only one dealing with legal proceedings.

Alongside her taxpayer-funded $120,000 legal bill is Liberal backbencher Mark Shelton’s $15,000 bill and Minister Jane Howlett’s $303,800 bill.

Mr Rockliff said that while he cannot say much on the issues, all details would be provided when they could be.