Premier Mike Rann had agreed to pay the former CEO of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet (DPC), Warren McCann, $360,000 per annum for a new job managing only 13 people. Mr McCann yesterday confirmed in evidence to the Legislative Council Budget and Finance Committee that when he was appointed Commissioner for Public Employment…
A total of more than $2 million had been lost on the first two Adelaide International Guitar Festivals in 2007 and 2008. “Mr Rann, in typically understated fashion, had described the Festival as “the largest of its kind in the world” and “the next big WOMAD equivalent in Adelaide” and also went on to accept…
Public servants should be on the lookout as a gaggle of Rann ‘Spin Doctors’ are parachuted into well paid and senior positions in government departments and agencies. Information provided by public service whistleblowers combined with a comprehensive search of documents obtained under Freedom of Information has revealed a list of at least 13 ‘Spin Doctors’…
Senior Transport department executives yesterday gave evidence which conflicted with claims by Premier Rann about the state of readiness of South Australian projects being considered for funding under the $20 billion Building Australia Fund. Liberal MLC Rob Lucas said that on 29 October 2008, Premier Rann issued a media release listing South Australia’s five priority…
Minister Pat Conlon and his senior departmental executives were refusing to implement a key ruling by the Auditor-General which led to an audit qualification of the Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure’s (DTEI) 2006-07 financial accounts. Mr Jim Hallion, CEO of the DTEI, and other senior executives were questioned at today’s meeting of the Legislative…
In excess of $200,000 dollars had been wasted on a consultant developing a “new model” to handle surplus public servants, which was now not being used. “Senior executives from the Department of the Premier and Cabinet (DPC) gave evidence to the Legislative Council Budget and Finance Committee that consultant Hunters Management & Consultants had been…
The Auditor-General has indicated the Premier was wrong to dismiss Randall Ashbourne, in evidence today to the Atkinson-Ashbourne-Clarke Affair Select Committee. Mr Ken MacPherson has also indicated that South Australian taxpayers, through the Rann Government, have been exposed to a significant unfair dismissal claim and liability, according to Shadow Treasurer Rob Lucas. HON R.I. LUCAS:…
There was a battle looming over WorkCover’s attempts to keep secret key changes to its multimillion dollar contract with its claims manager. “WorkCover Chairman Philip Bentley today told the Statutory Authorities Review Committee hearing that WorkCover believed critical contract changes provided to the Committee should not be made public,” Liberal MLC Rob Lucas said today.…
The Rann Government was wasting millions of taxpayers’ dollars through slack management of IT projects whilst at the same time cutting important services for disadvantaged families. Evidence given today by senior executives from the Department for Families and Communities (DFC) to the Legislative Council Budget and Finance Committee confirmed there had been a $12 million…
The Rann Government had secretly deferred $9 million in announced cuts to government advertising whilst still insisting all departments, including Health, had to cut their budgets due to the global financial crisis. “This is an act of absolute hypocrisy by Premier Rann and will be greeted with anger by the community as well as departments…