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The staff of Hon. T. Kelly, Deputy President of the NSW
Legislative Council, Chairman of Committees and leader of Country Labor,
informed the IT staff of NSW Parliament House of a machine fault in his
computer on July 24, 2001. The Hon. Meredith Burgman, President of the
Council was slow to act. |
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The IT staff, finding Kelly's computer had files from the
computer of Charles Lynn, secretary of the Opposition's shadow Cabinet,
which carried a range of confidential Liberal Party matters, informed
the Clerk of the House next day. |
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Kelly said he would not know the first thing about
hacking, but stepped aside. Mrs Chikarovski, leader of the Opposition
complained they had been surprised how ready the government was for
particular questions in question time. |
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Mr Carr's spokeswoman confirmed Mr Carr had used a
confidential hard copy Opposition memo and e-mail in question time on
May 31. |
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Kelly admitted training as a computer programmer in 4
languages 1974-85 while computer manager at the Wellington Council, and
holding the position of chairman of the Parliament's technology advisory
group; and that his son, John had often used his computer in Parliament
House. |
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Kelly's son, John, a top computer studies student in year
12, works for barrister Ron Hoenig, Mayor of Botany, who defended Mekong
Club barman ALP member Duy Dinh, in the John Newman assassination trial. |
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An independent IT report by Melbourne firm eSec found a
number of computer programs and games had been loaded on the computer on
weekends and in the early hours; and that unauthorised "password-sniffing"
LANguard software had been installed and used several times to
launch computer scans. However Mr. Lynn’s name and computer IP address
had been "accidentally put on the computer"
by IT staff. |
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Andrew Tuny, managing director of eSec. said "there
has been a tremendous expansion in the number and sophistication of
hacking software available on the internet.’"
(SMH 9-Aug-2001)' |
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A computer industry magazine said Parliamentary staff were
warned two years ago hacking would occur unless security was drastically
improved. (SMH 9-Aug-2001) |
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Premier Carr delayed delayed handing over other computers
to the police Computer Crime Agency as under parliamentary privilege.
Sceptics say the delay would enable anyone else to wipe out any evidence
of sharp practice. |
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Mrs Chikarovski, Leader of the Opposition, and Mr Lynn,
said investigations had raised more questions than they answered. The
police report said "questions remain over
how opposition files got into Mr Kelly's computer.'’ |
