A former Fairfax Media columnist was paid $1,500 by South Australian taxpayers to write Mr Weatherill’s first major speech after becoming Premier. The speech was delivered by Mr Weatherill to the ALP state convention the day after he took over the premiership from Mike Rann in October 2011. The Legislative Council Budget and Finance Committee…
DetailsShadow Minister for Health Rob Lucas said today doctors held ‘grave concerns’ that ramping problems experienced at the FMC would be replicated at the NRAH. SA Health sources have confirmed that the Weatherill Labor Government has adopted exactly the same design for the Emergency Department at the NRAH as already exists at the FMC. The…
DetailsPremier Weatherill must ensure that Health Minister Jack Snelling stops procrastinating and resolves the rapidly escalating South Coast Doctor crisis. More than 30 doctors that provide after hour care at the South Coast District Hospital at Victor Harbor and other medical services have quit because of funding disagreements with Country Health SA. These resignations will…
DetailsShadow Health Minister Rob Lucas said today Health Minister Snelling had to ‘back off’ and ensure government-employed media officers did not provoke industrial action by ambulance officers. Yesterday a government-employed media officer from Flinders Medical Centre (FMC) clashed verbally with a TV cameraman and ambulance officers as the Weatherill Labor Government sought to prevent filming…
DetailsThe Weatherill Labor Government is so embarrassed about its failure to control ramping at Flinders Medical Centre it is attempting to restrict media coverage. The Ambulance Employees’ Association has revealed that security has erected barriers to prevent media photographing or filming the ramped ambulances. Shadow Health Minister Rob Lucas said today’s events were further evidence…
DetailsJust one day after Premier Weatherill promised no more ‘political bulldust,’ Minister Snelling has just dumped a truckload of it on long suffering rural South Australians. Earlier this week, Minister Snelling finally relented after a long campaign by rural South Australians and the State Liberals and announced a review of the Patient Assistance Transport Scheme…
DetailsPremier Weatherill on 8 November 2011 claimed that standards of civility and debate had to increase on his watch. Of course, Mr Weatherill made these hollow claims having spent – to that point – 10 years at Labor’s Cabinet table. Some of Mr Weatherill’s hollow rhetoric from 8 November 2011 includes the following: “…civility in…
DetailsThe Hon. R.I. LUCAS (16:25): I rise on behalf of Liberal members to express support for the second reading of the legislation. As some members will be aware, the member for Davenport has carriage of this particular bill for the Liberal Party, and his most comprehensive contribution to the second reading was made on 19…
DetailsThe Hon. R.I. LUCAS (16:51): On behalf of the Liberal Party, I move: That the codes of practice under the Work Health and Safety Act 2012, made on 20 December 2012 and laid on the table of this council on 19 February 2013, viz Construction Work Code of Practice, Preventing Falls in Housing Construction Code…
DetailsThe Hon. R.I. LUCAS (17:35): Having listened to the contribution made by the Hon. Mr Kandelaars, I can only comment: how the mighty have fallen in relation to the old Labor lefties who were there from years ago, pledging to support the impoverished and single parent families. The old Labor lefties, like the Hon. Mr…
DetailsPremier Weatherill has done it again – another embarrassing gaffe reveals his Labor Government for what it is. Today, Premier Weatherill confessed people are sick of political “bulldust.” A remarkable commentary on the state of political debate in South Australia as espoused by Labor after 11 long years of Government. It is the second such…
DetailsIn a further embarrassing blow to Premier Weatherill and his Labor Government, Minister Koutsantonis has today admitted his over spruiking guilt. “This follows Mr Weatherill’s embarrassing gaffe last week, agreeing with the State Liberals that his Labor Government has over spruiked major projects,” said Mr Lucas, “Minister O’Brien also then agreed with Mr Weatherill that…
DetailsPremier Weatherill’s over-spruiked China trip has amounted to a Rann style movie deal and the net loss of eight koalas. Premier Weatherill spruiked the trip as being about growing jobs: “…so it’s all about jobs. It’s about growing prosperity with the second largest economy in the world, soon to be the first largest economy…” Premier…
DetailsPremier Weatherill and Minister O’Brien have been caught out publicly disagreeing with each other for the third separate occasion this year. In response to a question about whether South Australia had missed the mining boom, Mr Weatherill yesterday told ABC radio “no, I don’t accept that.” However, when Mr O’Brien was asked whether South Australia…
DetailsThe Weatherill Labor Government has the wrong priorities for health, continuing to waste millions of dollars on consultants and a bloated bureaucracy whilst neglecting important services such as the Patient Assistance Transport Scheme (PATS). Health Minister Jack Snelling this week ruled out increased funding for PATS, a subsidy program that provides money to pay for…
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