A former Liberal parliamentary staffer told a Tasmanian parliamentary committee on Friday that she was ordered by MP Jane Howlett to perform full-time political campaign work instead of her taxpayer-funded advisory role. The state government has rejected the claims as incorrect statements made under parliamentary privilege.
The House of Assembly Committee on Caretaker conventions heard testimony from former parliamentary adviser Sharee Minnikin-Smith, who alleged that her daily duties shifted entirely away from legislative assistance and toward partisan campaigning ahead of the 2024 state election as reported by ABC News.
From Legislative Adviser to Full-Time Campaigner
Minnikin-Smith was employed in November 2023 as an adviser to then-leader of the government in the upper house Leonie Hiscutt. She stated that she worked in Hiscutt’s office for about two weeks before receiving directions from Jane Howlett to work exclusively on her upcoming election campaign according to Pulse Tasmania. In early 2024, Howlett prepared to contest the seat of Lyons at the state election after previously representing the upper house seat of Prosser.
While ministerial and parliamentary staff are permitted to undertake political activities outside of working hours, the Integrity Commission forbids them from conducting party political work during official hours. When questioned about the division of her time between advisory duties and electoral tasks, Minnikin-Smith testified that the split was 100 per cent dedicated to Howlett’s campaign.
“Over time, I began to feel that I had been employed for a purpose different from the role I believed I had accepted.”
Sharee Minnikin-Smith, former parliamentary staffer, via ABC News
Minnikin-Smith told MPs that her daily responsibilities included door-knocking, letterbox drops, organizing contact lists for community groups, and attending campaign events.
The Tasman Peninsula Email Dispute
The committee inquiry also examined an email sent on the eve of the 2024 election. At 9:03 PM, an address on the Tasman Peninsula received a message titled A strong plan for the Tasman region
sent from Minnikin-Smith’s government email account detailing Liberal Party commitments.
Independent MLC Meg Webb initially raised the email during 2024 government business hearings, questioning whether it constituted a breach of code. The Premier informed that committee that the message had been sent inadvertently
from the wrong address and that an apology followed.
However, Minnikin-Smith directly disputed that characterization before the committee, stating she acted on direct orders from Howlett. She added that she had raised her concerns with a manager at the Department of Premier and Cabinet.
“I said that this is what I’d been instructed to do by Jane, and I’m not comfortable with it because I know it’s not OK.”
Sharee Minnikin-Smith, former parliamentary staffer, via ABC News
According to her testimony, the department manager told her not to worry because nothing would come of it. Minnikin-Smith rejected the idea that the dispatch was an honest mistake.
Political and Legal Fallout Surrounding Howlett
The inquiry proceedings faced internal disagreement over its scope. Liberal MP and committee member Marcus Vermey raised multiple objections regarding the relevance of 2024 events to an inquiry specifically targeting the 2025 state election campaign, though committee chair and Greens MP Tabatha Badger permitted the testimony to proceed.
The revelations arrive during a turbulent political period for Howlett. She resigned from cabinet in June following increasing pressure from the opposition and crossbench regarding a dispute over $405,000 in taxpayer funds used for legal action. Premier Jeremy Rockliff subsequently confirmed that the Supreme Court proceedings connected to an Integrity Commission investigation.
Howlett was originally scheduled to appear before the committee on the same day as Minnikin-Smith, but her name was removed from the schedule after organizers learned she was hospitalized with a medical certificate covering that week and the next.
Government Response and Broader Allegations
In response to the hearing, a state government spokesperson issued a formal statement dismissing the testimony. The spokesperson asserted that an ex-employee has made a series of incorrect claims under parliamentary privilege
.
Minnikin-Smith also stated that she was not an isolated case among parliamentary staff working under the same arrangement. She testified that other aides had similarly performed campaign duties for Howlett while drawing public salaries. Records show Minnikin-Smith previously filed an application with the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal following her termination by the Department of Premier and Cabinet, though she ultimately chose not to pursue the matter.
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