Questions are being asked as to whether anyone from the ABC connected to last night’s buybacks story had received market sensitive information before the announcement of the buyback tenders yesterday afternoon.
Concerns have been expressed that the ABC staff may have been privy to market sensitive information they or a colleague could have used to purchase water before the buyback tenders were announced.
The Government must release all correspondence with the 7.30 Report team to ensure it can provide trust and confidence in water markets and compliance requirements around the handling of market sensitive information by public servants, contractors or others involved in the 7.30 Report story.
To ensure that no breaches have taken place, the ACCC and the Inspector-General for Water Compliance must look into what information was provided and when to the ABC and provide the water market with assurances prior to the tender opening on the 23rd of March that no market sensitive information was shared between the Minister’s office, her department and ABC staff.
The ABC needs to release what processes were put in place to ensure no employees, contractors or others used or shared sensitive market information.
Shadow Water Minister, Perin Davey, said last October’s estimates showed how sensitive the water market is when a water broker released an expression of interest based on evidence given by the Department.
“Pending Government tenders definitely impacts the market and must be treated as market sensitive information,” she said.
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