The key health bureaucrat in the Royal Adelaide Hospital project had been allowed to go on holiday during a critical period in the evaluation process. “On 20 May this year, the two final bids for the RAH PPP were lodged and for the last 23 days all the key health and treasury officers have been…
DetailsThe Legislative Council’s Budget and Finance Committee had resolved to launch an immediate inquiry into the Adelaide Oval redevelopment fiasco. “At its meeting yesterday, the Committee resolved to call a series of witnesses including SMA CEO Leigh Whicker, SMA Chairman Ian McLachlan, Steering Committee Chairman Bruce Carter, and Steering Committee members/advisers Rod Hook, Bob Boorman…
DetailsA confidential finance industry publication had claimed the cost of the Royal Adelaide Hospital project had blown out to $3 billion. “After Opposition Leader Isobel Redmond yesterday indicated the cost of the $1.7 billion RAH project had blown out by “hundreds of millions of dollars”, finance industry sources provided the Liberal Party with a document…
DetailsThe cost of the Adelaide Oval project had now blown out from $450 million to almost $700 million. “Information on the $250 million blowout has been provided to the Liberal Party by sources with an intimate knowledge of the detailed workings of the new Stadium Management Authority (SMA) and its two working parties,” Shadow Minister…
DetailsThe State Liberals will move to re-establish an important Parliamentary Committee, after a five month hiatus. “Today the State Liberals will move a motion in Parliament seeking to re-establish the Legislative Council Budget and Finance Committee,” Shadow Minister for Finance Rob Lucas said today. “Evidence presented to the Budget and Finance Committee over the last…
DetailsI rise to speak about ongoing instability and factionalism within the Labor Party. At the start of each parliament, the Leader of the Government engages in a series of discussions with the members of the Legislative Council about matters of mutual interest, committees and committee processes, standing orders, etc. On most occasions, the Leader of…
DetailsThe Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:35): I rise to speak about ongoing instability and factionalism within the Labor Party. At the start of each parliament, the Leader of the Government engages in a series of discussions with the members of the Legislative Council about matters of mutual interest, committees and committee processes, standing orders, etc. On…
DetailsThe Hon. R.I. LUCAS (16:36): I move: 1. That a committee to be called the Budget and Finance Committee be appointed to monitor and scrutinise all matters relating to the state budget and the financial administration of the state. 2. That the standing orders of the Legislative Council in relation to select committees be applied…
DetailsYesterday’s weak costings exercise by the Rann Government has once again demonstrated that Rann Labor is more about spin than substance. The failure of the Government to provide anything more than a flimsy two-page spreadsheet signed off by the Treasurer’s own political staff reveals its desperation to say and do anything to cling to power.…
DetailsThe Rann Government is wasting up to $20,000 per student in a new scheme sending foster children to some of South Australia’s most expensive non-government schools instead of government schools. “This scheme is being driven by Families and Communities Minister Jennifer Rankine and involves taxpayers paying full fees and costs including uniforms to send students…
DetailsPremier Rann and Treasurer Foley were desperate to avoid hard questions on their own black hole in the Labor Party’s costings document. “Mr Rann, Mr Foley and the Labor Party have failed to include one dollar in its spreadsheet for a stormwater pipe network, which will cost more than $1 billion,” Shadow Minister for Finance…
DetailsLeaks from senior sources within Treasury had revealed that Treasurer Foley had been trying to conceal a $168 million wages blowout in the budget. “The attached leaked document from Treasury and the Industrial Relations unit of Premier and Cabinet shows the actual annual wage bill increase for public servants was 3.1 per cent instead of…
DetailsPremier Rann and the Labor Party had been embarrassingly caught out abusing the Government’s email database to circulate Labor Party campaign material to the state’s public servants. “This is also a clear breach of the Caretaker Conventions Mr Rann and his Government should be observing,” Shadow Minister for Finance Rob Lucas said today. “Mr Rann…
DetailsStatements made by Treasurer Foley defending taxpayer funded expenses for overseas trips were not supported by documents released under Freedom of Information and official parliamentary travel records. “Mr Foley’s first trip under the spotlight was a two week trip to the United States in August 2009,” Shadow Minister for Finance Rob Lucas said today. FOLEY…
DetailsLabor MP John Rau’s campaign material from last week had revealed that even Labor MPs would prefer Isobel Redmond to Mike Rann. “In an extraordinary revelation Mr Rau cynically has tried to give the impression he has the endorsement of Isobel Redmond when that isn’t the case,” Liberal MLC Rob Lucas said today. “The leaflet…
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