Former Liberal adviser says pornography was distributed inside Victorian Parliament

Former Liberal adviser says pornography was distributed inside Victorian Parliament

The Napthine government has been shaken by claims from a sacked senior aide that pornographic films were distributed among MPs and ministerial staff from an office at 1 Treasury Place.

Don Coulson, a former adviser to ex-premier Ted Baillieu, is suing the government for wrongful dismissal for being sacked shortly after Denis Napthine took over as Premier.

Mr Coulson said on Thursday morning he had been accused in court documents issued by the Napthine government of having pornography in his office at the time he was dismissed.

He acknowledged there had been "at least three memory sticks" in his office that contained pornography, but that it was not for his personal use.


"A number of memory sticks located in my office contained pornography," he said.

Mr Coulson said people in Parliament, who he declined to name, had "exchanged" the memory sticks.

"I'm aware that some people who will remain nameless exchanged material on memory sticks that may have been pornographic, to ensure that they were not downloaded onto government computers," Mr Coulson said.

The government issued a statement in response to the claims, in which it described the allegations made by Mr Coulson as "bizarre".

A government spokesperson dismissed him as "a disgruntled former employee who is currently involved in legal proceedings with the state regarding the termination of his employment".

Mr Coulson is going to the courts to get back-pay he says the government owes him. He says the government is counter-suing him for $35,000 in salary paid to him that it argues should not have been.

The Napthine government statement said that the allegations over the distribution of pornography from his 1 Treasury Place office made by Mr Coulson had not been made before.

"This is the first time such allegations have been made despite a number of meetings between the disgruntled former employee, his legal representatives and the legal representatives of the state," they said.

"Serious questions have to be asked as to the timing of the allegations that have been made by the individual concerned," the government statement said.

On Thursday morning, Dr Napthine described the allegations as "bizarre and unbelievable".

Also on Thursday morning, Mr Coulson told ABC 774 that his office was used as a drop-off point for memory sticks containing porn that was used by elected MPs and staff.

He said he did not believe the material include child pornography or animal porn, and that he did not believe there was anything illegal on the memory sticks.

"I don't think it's inappropriate. If you become an elected official you don't become celibate or inhuman.

"If you're assuming it was hardcore porn, yes it was. If you're asking of it was illegal, no it wasn't," he said.

"It wasn't done as office protocol, let's put it that way."

He said he would consider speaking with the authorities about it if an investigation is launched.

"If police or IBAC conduct an inquiry then I will make a decision at the time."

Mr Coulson was employed by Mr Baillieu in 2010 to oversee the government's Freedom of Information strategy.

Mr Coulson said the government had accused him of having "pornography running out my ears in my office".

He said the government's solicitors, Gadens, had "been running a campaign of embarrassment" and for this reason he had gone public with his side of the story.

"This is going to kill what's left of my career," Mr Coulson said. He said he had been sacked "because I was seen as Ted's man".

Shadow attorney-general Martin Pakula called for a proper police investigation into the porn ring allegations.

"It sounds like the Premier's office is like a branch of video sleazy."

Planning Minister Matthew Guy told ABC 774 he would not refer the matter to the anti-corruption commission.

"Which law would be broken for me to refer it to IBAC," he said.


"This is a matter of civil dispute... I don't know if this is true or not."

Mr Guy did not see need for an investigation and said it was before the courts.

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