DPS head Rob Stefanic says he has 'endured' privacy violations

The Canberra Times

Department of Parliamentary Services secretary Rob Stefanic was questioned during Senate estimates in May 2024 about his former deputy secretary.

Transcript

00:00 Were you ever in a, there are a number of articles here, two articles I've got,

00:05 reports of a relationship between the two top public servants within the department.

00:10 Were you ever in a romantic relationship with Ms Saunders prior to appointing her?

00:15 Senator, I think what I might address, I guess the elephant in the room,

00:20 in recent weeks I've had to endure inquiries and media reports

00:25 reflecting adverse to my integrity,

00:30 reports based on malicious and gossip-laden information.

00:35 I've endured repeated violation of my personal privacy based on an alleged public interest.

00:40 I'll readily address questions about my integrity, as is relevant to public confidence in my role

00:45 as a Parliamentary Service Leader. However, respectfully, I'm not prepared to subject

00:50 further my family members to further personal privacy intrusions.

00:55 Between your salary and Ms Saunders' salary, it's almost a million dollars a year.

01:00 I think the public has a right to know about what's happening in that relationship.

01:05 A million dollars is not a little amount of money.

01:10 I would contend, Senator, it's somewhat short of a million dollars.

01:15 $870,000 plus to...

01:20 I can assure you, Senator, as I have unsuccessfully

01:25 tried to communicate to members of the media that

01:30 I have taken all reasonable steps to manage and declare

01:35 any conflicts of interest as has been appropriate.

01:40 I believe integrity and the principles of integrity

01:45 follow DPS are critical to public confidence.

01:50 I understand more than most that the intense scrutiny by parliamentarians and the media

01:55 that my department experiences and the necessity for accountability and

02:00 integrity. And to my mind, the perceptions of conflict

02:05 are just as important as actual conflict.

02:10 So I want to give you assurance, Senator, that I have acted appropriately at all times.

02:15 Mr Stefanik, with respect, you haven't actually answered the question. Were you in a romantic

02:20 relationship with Ms Saunders while you were her boss?

02:25 Senator, as I have mentioned, I'm not prepared. If I open

02:30 the discussion of my privacy, it becomes a further matter for speculation

02:35 and discussion. I've endured that for quite some years.

02:40 This is actually not new. As I've said,

02:45 my privacy has already been considerably violated

02:50 in this process. And I really am not prepared to

02:55 entertain any questions that

03:00 speak to my personal privacy. As I said,

03:05 Senator, I am willing to answer any questions in relation to my integrity.

03:10 And to that end, I will do so.

03:15 You still haven't answered the question. I understand your perspective that it raises

03:20 more questions. But if you answer that question, yes or no,

03:25 it ends it right there. So what's the answer?

03:30 If you are being inconvenienced, hurt, by continuing questioning,

03:35 just put an end to it. Taxpayers have a right to know what's going on in the Department of

03:40 Parliamentary Services.

03:45 (Clears throat)

03:50 (Whispers)

03:55 To that end, I will give you

04:00 a simple answer, Senator, and that is no.

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