Acting Premier Roger Cook claims the new Liberals' whistleblower website is illegal. Credit:Emma Young "This is a political stunt ..the fact is it is potentially illegal and I'm calling on the Liberal party to withdraw it immediately. "This website encourages public servants to report examples of gross mismanagement, to report examples of wasting of taxpayers' fund. "The leader of the opposition doesn't need a website to undertake this task, he just needs to look in a mirror." Mr Cook said the Attorney General was seeking advice from the State's Solicitor's Office to see if website was legal.

He said it was unwise or dangerous for any public servant to use the website given it was potentially illegal. "The website encourages a public servant to report when they see misconduct or something illegal not to a relevant authority such as the police or the Corruption and Crime Commission but instead go to the Liberal party," he said. "There are very clear guidelines under the CCC Act and the Criminal Code in relation to what the obligations for a public servant is in the eventuality or the occasion they see misconduct of a colleague in a line of duty. "Under the Disclosure Act a public servant can not simply go to a third party such as the Liberal party and undertake that disclosure to protect themselves in relation to the claims that they are making. "The leader of the opposition should be ashamed and should withdraw the website or face the legal consequences."

Liberal leader Mike Nahan said it appeared Labor had a "glass jar" because he claimed it used the same "tools" while in opposition. "And their first response is to seek legal advice," he said. "The McGowan government just be open and accountable, don't try to block the information by going to your lawyers. "We are the opposition in Western Australia and our major function is to hold the McGowan government to account. "In order to do that, we need information on the activities and decisions of the government.

"This government has in its short period of government being very secretive in making a whole range of decisions without providing adequate information and so we seek to acquire information from Freedom of Information, questions in parliament and other sources." Director of UWA's Centre for Software Practice David Glance told the ABC despite the website claiming any information submitted was "100 per cent confidential", data uploaded was not encrypted and therefore vulnerable. He also warned the site was open to hackers. "It seems to have been put up with the minimum amount of thought put into it," he said. "It is irresponsible, saying it is anonymous and then encouraging people to put an email address in and using an email form for this type of communication is ridiculous."

Dr Nahan said the party had tweaked the website to iron out any bugs. "​We have taken some advice and improved the confidentiality of our website - we have contacted the Public Service Commission and altered it accordingly and we are now encrypting data provided through the website which should secure it," he said.