Media Release: Government Refuses to Clarify If It Sought Supreme Court Suppression Order to be Secret

Government Refuses to Clarify If It Sought Supreme Court Suppression Order to be Secret

1 June 2026

Independent Member for Nelson Meg Webb today sought clarification from Attorney-General Guy Barnett as to whether the Government had applied to the Supreme Court to secure the non-publication of any suppression or other order relating to former Minister Ogilvie’s legal action.

“The layers of Government secrecy over non-legal factual aspects of former Minister Ogilvie’s current Supreme Court action has reached farcical and unacceptable levels,” Ms Webb said.

“During Upper House Budget Estimates scrutiny hearings, I asked the Attorney-General whether the Government applied to the Court for any suppression of non-publication order to not be published on the Court public portal where other examples of similar orders are routinely disclosed. 

“I further asked if the Government sought or received legal advice surrounding factual and non-legal details regarding this matter, such as the date the proceedings commenced or date that assistance to pay legal fees was sought.

“The Attorney-General refused to answer either of these questions.”

Ms Webb said she was not asking about anything to do with the specifics of the legal action currently before the court.

“Instead, I was seeking clarification of any Government efforts to either inform itself of what could or could not be disclosed public and any efforts made to keep those legal proceedings non-disclosed.

“People have noted the apparent inconsistency between the established practice of the Court disclosing the existence of suppression and non-publication orders, and what appears to be the situation in this particular case, and it is a legitimate query as to whether that has occurred because of a government application or not.

“Clearly a blanket stonewall strategy is in place.”

Ms Webb said this obvious closing of ranks by the Rockliff Government does nothing to support the Premier’s assertions of transparency.

“It also undermines public confidence in our standards of governance.”