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@media (forced-colors: active) { .background { fill: none; } } ABC iViewABC ListenABC NewsNews HomeTasmanian MLC Ruth Forrest considers referring leaked email for further investigationShareShare articleTasmanian MLC Ruth Forrest considers referring leaked email for further investigationJBy Jano Gibson

Ruth Forrest says she had still not received a response from the government about the leaked email on Thursday night. (ABC News: Mackenzie Heard)

Independent upper house member Ruth Forrest is considering referring a complaint about a leaked email to WorkSafe Tasmania and parliament's Privileges Committee.

She has also accused the government of failing to adequately fund an independent complaints commissioner to deal with matters concerning parliamentarians and staff.

The government has not responded to Ms Forrest's demand for an investigation and a formal apology.

Link copiedShareShare articleIndependent MLC Ruth Forrest says she is "deeply disappointed" to not receive a response from the Tasmanian premier regarding a leaked email that included her private health information, and is considering escalating the matter further.

On Wednesday, Ms Forrest told the Upper House that an email sent on her behalf to the Department of Premier and Cabinet had been leaked to a media outlet.

A Tasmanian independent politician is calling for an apology after her personal health-related request via email to the government was leaked to a media outlet.

"I fear it was intended to minimise and trivialise a genuine health matter as well as to humiliate me," she said at the time.

The email had requested that ministers and departmental officials avoid wearing strong perfumes and aftershave at next week's budget estimates hearings.

Ms Forrest, who chairs one of the estimates committees, said she made the request because she and others had experienced adverse health reactions to strong fragrances in the past.

Following the leaking of the email, Ms Forrest demanded a formal apology from the government and asked that the person responsible be identified.

In the leaked email, Ruth Forrest had requested that ministers and departmental officials avoid wearing strong perfumes and aftershave at next week's budget estimates hearings. (ABC News: Kate Nickels)

As of Thursday evening, Ms Forrest said she had received no response from Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff.

"One would have expected some communication from the leader of our government, the premier, by now, but no — no phone call, not even a text message," she told parliament's upper house on Thursday evening.

Ms Forrest said the incident was indicative of a "cultural problem within the government".

"This is a cultural problem, a workplace cultural problem," she said.

Ms Forrest told the ABC she said she would seek advice about two possible courses of action.

The first could be a referral to WorkSafe Tasmania, which can investigate harmful workplace behaviours including bullying, harassment and poor organisational justice.

"The leaking of the information about [a] health-related matter is just appalling and so disrespectful when we're supposed to be working in a respectful workplace," Ms Forrest said.

The second course of action could be a referral to parliament's Privileges Committee, she said.

"Now, I imagine the outcry if I as the chair of the Public Accounts Committee did that, or any other member of parliament did that.

The member for Murchison said she would continue to pursue the matter despite the parliamentary winter break.

"If concerns have been raised, I am sure it will be considered very seriously," Mr Barnett said.

The ABC sent follow-up questions to government's media unit, including:

Guy Barnett says he is sure any concerns from Ms Forrest will be "considered very seriously". (ABC News: Maren Preuss)

Harmful workplace behaviours within Tasmanian ministerial and parliamentary services (MPS) were exposed in a damning report in 2022.

The report, titled Motion for Respect, was undertaken by then anti-discrimination commissioner Sarah Bolt.

"Individuals working within the MPS Workplace are entitled to expect that their workplace is a safe place — a place in which respectful behaviours are the norm, where … complaints are encouraged and actioned in a timely manner," Ms Bolt said.

The report by anti-discrimination commissioner Sarah Bolt in 2012 found ministerial and parliamentary staff were subject to degrading, belittling and abusive behaviour. (ABC News: Peter Curtis)

One of the 14 recommendations to come out of the report was a new code of conduct, which was agreed to by both houses of parliament late last year.

Another recommendation was a new system to investigate complaints about discrimination, sexual harassment and bullying, including allegations against Members of Parliament.

A national study has found 70 per cent of politicians feel their job is affecting their mental health. The ABC spoke to three Tasmanian MPs, including the state's premier, about their experiences.

But Ms Forrest said the budget only included $50,000 per year for an independent complaints commissioner and deputy commissioner to deal with alleged code of conduct breaches.

"There is no way that is adequate to fund it," Ms Forrest said.

"So, it's an absolute insult to our clerks who are tasked with recruiting someone to this position.

"It's an insult to everyone who works in this workplace, that our workplace safety is not taken seriously despite agreeing to the code of conduct and the resolutions around the independent complaints commissioner."

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