Shadow Treasurer Rob Lucas said today evidence from Treasury boss Brett Rowse to the Budget and Finance Committee had made it clear the Weatherill Government had been considering the privatisation of some of the assets of SA Water and HomeStart Finance. When Mr Rowse was asked directly about the possible sale of any of SA…
DetailsThe State Liberals have called on the Weatherill Labor Government to commit to introducing no new taxes in next week’s State Budget. “Given that South Australia’s unemployment rate has now skyrocketed to 7.6 per cent, the Weatherill Labor Government must start working on a plan to transform our economy and create jobs,” said Shadow Treasurer…
DetailsShadow Treasurer Rob Lucas said today it was highly embarrassing for Premier Weatherill and Treasurer Koutsantonis that the key agency for modelling good public service practice had blown its budget by $2 million this year. Commissioner for Public Sector Employment Erma Ranieri told the Budget and Finance Committee she had advised Treasury earlier this year…
DetailsThe Weatherill Labor Government must rule out introducing a tax on foreigners buying property in South Australia. The Victorian Labor Government will introduce a tax that will see foreign property buyers hit with a 3 per cent surcharge on stamp duty and a 0.5 per cent surcharge on land tax. Victorian industry groups have raised…
DetailsShadow Treasurer Rob Lucas said today documents released under FOI have now revealed that the Weatherill Government had given a separation payout to a 79 year old public servant. “This is yet another example of a massive waste of taxpayers’ money at a time when Mr Weatherill is closing the Repatriation Hospital and cutting Emergency…
DetailsThe State Liberals have reassured South Australia’s 160,000 pensioners that the South Australian Parliament will protect their entitlement to the $190 council rates concession. “The State Liberals and the minor parties in the Upper House will block any attempt by Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis to cut pensioner’s entitlements to council rate concessions,” said Shadow Treasurer Rob…
DetailsPremier Jay Weatherill has today made the extraordinary claim that Federal Labor Leader Bill Shorten is “not relevant” and cannot make a difference. The shock statement was made just hours before Mr Shorten is expected to deliver his budget response. Premier Weatherill made the claim on ABC Radio this morning: “He’s not relevant. He can’t…
DetailsSouth Australia is set to benefit from an unbudgeted GST windfall of $857 million, announced in the Federal Budget. “The Federal Budget has confirmed an increase of $857m in unallocated or unbudgeted GST funding to SA over the next three years,” said Shadow Treasurer Rob Lucas. “The simple reality is that next year the extra…
DetailsThe State Liberals are calling on the Weatherill Labor Government to rule out introducing a tax on foreigners buying property in South Australia. The Victorian Labor Government will introduce a tax that will see foreign property buyers hit with a 3 per cent surcharge on stamp duty and a 0.5 per cent surcharge on land…
DetailsShadow Treasurer Rob Lucas said today Premier Weatherill and Treasurer Koutsantonis had been caught out deliberately concealing the real number of spin doctors and Ministerial staff in Ministerial offices. After an almost two year battle under FOI laws the Government was forced to release copies of “Confidential Ministers’ Directories” which list all staff in their…
DetailsShadow Treasurer Rob Lucas said last week’s decision on GST allocations now meant South Australia would get an unbudgeted and unexpected $146 million GST funding windfall next year. “In fact total GST funding to South Australia next year will actually be $571 million more than this year but $425 million of that has already been…
DetailsThe Weatherill Labor Government is running a part-time government with six Cabinet Ministers on leave at a time when South Australia needs strong leadership. The six Cabinet Ministers on leave at the moment are: • Gail Gago on leave from 16-24 April 2015 inclusive; • Leon Bignell on leave from 16 April – 2 May…
DetailsShadow Treasurer Rob Lucas said the Liberal Party would welcome the opportunity of fighting the next State Election over the Weatherill Government’s proposal for a new $1200 tax on an average family home. Treasurer Koutsantonis continues to try and drum up support for his proposed annual $1200 tax on the family home and has told…
DetailsShadow Treasurer Rob Lucas said today the South Australian Liberals would not support any possible change to the GST distribution formula which would disadvantage South Australia financially. “We have regularly stated that position publicly and we do so again today,” said Mr Lucas. “The policy position that any change to the formula would only be…
DetailsShadow Treasurer Rob Lucas said today there needed to be tougher restrictions and controls on millions of dollars being spent by the Weatherill Government on contractors. Consolidated information over five years supplied by Treasury to the Budget and Finance Committee shows the Government spent more than $3 billion on contractors. Annual expenditure on contractors varied…
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