The former senior government adviser at the centre of alleged porn distribution involving Victorian MPs and other staffers says there's nothing illegal in the friends swapping memory sticks containing pornography.
Don Coulson, a Freedom of Information strategy adviser to former premier Ted Baillieu, has lodged a wrongful dismissal claim over his sacking in March last year just days after Denis Napthine became premier.
But the government has countersued, claiming Mr Coulson must return severance pay of more than $30,000 because he allegedly stored, accessed and/or viewed a "considerable amount" of pornography in his office, according to court documents.
Mr Coulson said memory sticks containing pornography were swapped between himself, a minister, some MPs and advisers, all of whom were friends, but "as far as I'm aware it was legal".
He said anyone who said otherwise had an obligation to refer the matter to police when it came to light 18 months ago, but that had not happened.
Mr Coulson, whose County Court statement of claim also says he is owed a redundancy payout of more than $67,000, denied breaching any workplace standards.
"I absolutely refute that I downloaded or accessed or uploaded any pornography in my role as ministerial adviser, in my work," he told Fairfax radio on Thursday.
Mr Coulson said there was no issue with consenting adults swapping porn in a lawful manner, and likened it to smokers who carried and swapped cigarettes in the workplace, without lighting up.
Dr Napthine said Mr Coulson was sacked for other reasons soon after he became premier.
"These are bizarre and absurd allegations by a disaffected, sacked employee," Dr Napthine told reporters of the porn swap claims.
"They are not worth the paper they are written on."
Dr Napthine said he was advised the material was inappropriate but not illegal.
Deputy Labor leader James Merlino said police needed to be called in.
"This is a matter that should've been investigated 18 months ago," he told reporters.
"Any illegality should be investigated by the proper authorities, whether it's the federal police or Victoria Police," he said.
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