7. Transport Ministry—Joanne Harrison CaseSUE MORONEY (Labour) to the Minister of TransportTransport Ministry—Joanne Harrison Case7. SUE MORONEY (Labour) to the Minister of Transport: Does he stand by his decision not to order an inquiry into the treatment of Ministry of Transport whistleblowers who were made redundant in a restructuring influenced by convicted fraudster Joanne Harrison when I asked him to do so on March 16 2017?Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Minister of Transport): I have never made the decision not to order an inquiry into the treatment of Ministry of Transport whistleblowers. I have made clear a number of times I think in Parliament and publicly that the moment I was advised of the fraud of Joanne Harrison it was a matter that I expected the then chief executive of the Ministry of Transport and the next one following that to treat with the utmost seriousness. I have sought and received assurances that both the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and the State Services Commission were involved and are also treating this with every bit of seriousness it deserves. I have supported from the get-go the internal Ministry of Transport review into the whistleblowers issue and then the State Services Commissioner commissioned one. I note that there have been a number of other independent reviews and of course the SFO investigation which I have also fully supported.Sue Moroney: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That primary question was on notice and it was validated by your office because I supplied—[Interruption]—well he is saying your office is wrong.Mr SPEAKER: Order! Can I just have the point of order please?Sue Moroney: I supplied to your office—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I want the point of order.Sue Moroney: The point of order is that the Minister claimed that the supposition in the question is wrong. It has been validated by your office.Mr SPEAKER: The Minister is responsible for his answer. I listened very carefully to the question that was read and to the answer that was subsequently given. The question has been addressed. If the member feels in any way that a misrepresentation has occurred then there is an appropriate course of action but it is not in raising points of order like that in this House.Sue Moroney: Why did he tell Parliament on 16 March that what is now very clear … is that the person in question here was not involved in the decision-making process in the restructure." when the independent investigation conducted by the State Services Commission found that Joanne Harrison was involved and the staff were disadvantaged as a result?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: I think what is really clear is that the member has asked me whether or not I had made a decision in relation to an inquiry of Ministry of Transport whistleblowers. I have never done that. I have always made clear that I want the Ministry of Transport to operationally deal with these matters and I expect it to take them with the utmost seriousness. In relation to the matter that the member raised I think she should be careful in terms of what the State Services Commission investigation in fact found. What it found was that it investigated and found that four Ministry of Transport staff did suffer professional disadvantage due to a process that convicted fraudster Joanne Harrison had a hand in. I entirely accept that.Sue Moroney: Will he apologise to the four heroic staff who were disadvantaged—Hon Member: Why?Sue Moroney: Because they were disadvantaged in their employment by Joanne Harrison under his watch. That is why he needs to apologise.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: I think there is a division of labour between the Minister the department and the State Services Commission. What we know quite clearly is that the State Services Commission has delivered an apology and will ensure that those affected get appropriate redress. That is absolutely right. I have supported both the Ministry of Transport and then the State Services Commission inquiry into this issue from the get-go.Sue Moroney: When he referred the Ministry of Transport fraud to the Serious Fraud Office in April 2016 was he aware that these staff had been raising concerns since 2013 about Joanne Harrison's dodgy invoicing and contracting practices; if not why not?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: I have never referred the matter to the SFO. I have made quite clear that as soon as I became aware of this from the then chief executive of the Ministry of Transport I made abundantly clear my expectations of him about how this was to be dealt with. I have outlined that in my primary answer. I have outlined that to the member in relation to her questions a number of times.Sue Moroney: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question was whether he knew in 2016 about—Mr SPEAKER: Order! No that was not the question. The question started with a referral to the Serious Fraud Office and the Minister disputed that.Sue Moroney: Why did he fail to inform the Prime Minister or the Prime Minister's office in April 2016 and May 2016 and June 2016 that a serious fraud had been committed in his ministry?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Because I place my expectations in relation to this on both the Ministry of Transport and the State Services Commission. I satisfied myself that an SFO inquiry investigation was going on at the time—it does not get more serious than that—and that the State Services Commission was fully involved in the matters."