Premier Weatherill’s review into “Mad March” events has been a “rank amateurish” process which has insulted and angered a key stakeholder. “Mr Weatherill appointed his own “internal consultant” Warren McCann to conduct the review, which recommended moving the V8 race forward to February and the June public holiday to May for a rescheduled Adelaide Cup,”…
DetailsThe Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:30): I support the second reading of the Appropriation Bill. In so doing, I indicate that I made some comprehensive remarks during the debate on the Supply Bill not too long ago about the state’s financial and budgetary position, and I do not propose in the Appropriation Bill to repeat all…
DetailsShadow Finance Minister Rob Lucas is calling for Minister Wortley to review urgently the tendering process which led to the Labor Government giving one company, Maxxia, a monopoly contract for salary sacrifice arrangements to all public servants. Earlier this month the Queensland Government revealed Remserv, one of two salary sacrifice providers in that state, had…
DetailsIndustrial Relations Minister Russell Wortley today refused to answer critical questions in Parliament by the Hon Rob Lucas MLC about the validity of charges laid against Ferro Con (SA) Pty Ltd. Ferro Con (SA) Pty Ltd was the crane company involved in an incident at the Adelaide Desalination Plant which led to the death of…
DetailsThe number of Ministerial staff and spin doctors in the Weatherill Government is far greater than the 107 published in this week’s Government Gazette, Shadow Finance Minister Rob Lucas said today. The true figure (including media monitoring staff) is 273, according to a leaked copy of the Government’s confidential Ministerial staff directory for December 2011.…
DetailsFormer Department of Premier and Cabinet Deputy Chief Executive Pauline Peel’s termination will cost taxpayers between $300,000 and $400,000. Evidence to the Legislative Council Budget and Finance Committee today revealed Ms Peel was entitled to a three or four month payout for early termination and then another three or four month payout for every unexpired…
DetailsMassive budget blowouts of $1.3 million at the Art Gallery and $410,000 at the South Australian Museum have been confirmed by Department of Premier and Cabinet executives. Evidence to the Legislative Council Budget and Finance Committee from Arts & Cultural Affairs Executive Director Alex Reid confirmed $1.7 million was provided to the institutions last month…
DetailsThe Weatherill Labor Government’s latest attempt to deliver its much hyped promise to cut the number of poker machines in South Australia by 814 has been an unmitigated failure. “In March this year, the Labor Government announced a new trading round for poker machines to help deliver its promise to cut another 814 machines,” Shadow…
Details$600,000 of Building the Education Revolution (BER) funding was wasted on two schools which have now closed, Department for Education and Child Development (DECD) executives have confirmed. DECD Chief Financial Officer Julieann Riedstra told the Legislative Council Budget and Finance Committee $250,000 had been spent on new toilets and $50,000 on building refurbishment at Salt…
DetailsAn undertaking by the Auditor-General today to use his ‘coercive powers’ if necessary to uncover all costs associated with ‘Cartridgegate’ has been welcomed by Shadow Finance Minister Rob Lucas. Auditor-General Simon O’Neill told the Legislative Council Budget and Finance Committee he was aware of a number of criticisms about the Government’s investigation into ‘Cartridgegate’, including:…
DetailsThe Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:37): I rise to support the formality of the second reading of the Supply Bill, but in doing so want to have a look at some of the facts in relation to what are the crises confronting the state in terms of its financial management and look at some of the…
DetailsBudget saving decisions have led to significant delays in appeal hearings by public servants against allegedly unfair employment decisions, Shadow Finance Minister Rob Lucas said today. “The Public Grievance Review Commission provides an avenue for an independent hearing of any claim by a public servant alleging nepotism, patronage or any other serious irregularity in an…
Details130 staff at 80 Health Department sites had been implicated in receiving at least $90,000 in gifts or benefits from food supply companies in exchange for purchases, evidence to the Legislative Council Budget and Finance Committee confirmed today. Health Department Chief Executive David Swan also told the Committee that 30 staff had been identified as…
DetailsDepartment of Education CEO Keith Bartley today indicated that 70 schools had been implicated in the ‘Cartridgegate’ scandal. In evidence to the Legislative Council’s Budget and Finance committee Mr Bartley confirmed some officers have been paying up to three times the normal rate for printer cartridges in exchange for gifts and benefits. Mr Bartley said…
DetailsUnder Treasurer Brett Rowse has confirmed that water prices will increase by about 200 per cent in the period 2008 – 2013 to pay for the desalination plant and other water projects. Mr Rowse told the Adelaide Desalination Plant Select Committee that after an average 26.3 per cent increase this year and a similar increase…
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