Missing laptops went dataway

The Age

Tuesday February 16, 2010

DAVID ROOD

TO LOSE one laptop is careless. To lose two is inept. But to lose 77? That's what Victorian public servants have done.In just under four years, public servants in the Department of Primary Industry have managed to lose or have stolen 77 laptop or palm computers valued at almost $220,000.On average, that's one computer every 2 weeks.None have been recovered.All the thefts were reported to police, bar the pilfering of one laptop stolen from a hotel lobby, which was reported to hotel security.The figures are revealed in a question on notice to Energy and Resources Minister Peter Batchelor, who is responsible for the department's 25,000 staff as well as other government agencies.In his answer to Parliament, the minister revealed the computers were stolen or lost between January 2006 and October 2009, with a value of about $218,000.He also admitted that the laptops could contain sensitive information, but said it was unlikely this data could be accessed because of "password protection".Mr Batchelor was one of only four ministers to respond to the question, put by opposition spokeswoman for government waste watch Inga Peulich to cabinet members last November.Industry Minister Martin Pakula and Major Projects Minister Tim Pallas responded then that no laptop, notebook or palm computers had been stolen from "each department or agency within their portfolio".Mr Pallas' response did not include the Department of Transport, which is also in his portfolio.Ms Peulich branded as incompetence the loss or theft of the computers from "under the minister's [Mr Batchelor] nose"."It is deeply disturbing that this information may have fallen into criminal hands," she told The Age.