South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill said issues related to the Debelle Royal Commission and Government record-keeping would be examined in a review of the state records act.
The Government said the review by retired District Court judge Alan Moss would ensure the records act remained relevant in light of technological changes.
The Debelle inquiry was unable to trace to whom a key email had been sent because computers had been routinely wiped during a change of ministerial officers.
Mr Weatherill said the review would be able to look at that record-keeping practice, along with other matters.
“To the extent that there are issues that are raised by records, they are the subject of recommendations made by Mr Debelle. To the extent that there are broader issues about records more generally because of the change in technologies, because of the digital era and text messages and emails and all those things, the Attorney has announced a thorough going review of the state records act,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Weatherill said he would not appear before a coming Parliamentary committee inquiry relating to the Debelle Royal Commission.
The Premier said the hearing would be a pre-election circus designed to hurt him.
Family First MP Robert Brokenshire believes he will have enough votes to establish the committee and says it will examine issues such as the management of government records.
Mr Weatherill says some MPs are supporting the proposed inquiry purely for political purposes.
“There are people that didn’t like the outcome of the Debelle inquiry. They wanted to make some very damaging adverse findings about me and they didn’t get it and so what they’re trying to do is have a re-run of that,” he said.
Mr Brokenshire has questioned whether the review of state records just announced by the Government is designed to distract from his planned parliamentary inquiry.
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