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:…
DetailsThere 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.…
DetailsThe Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:50): I want to speak this afternoon about a great South Australian sporting institution, much loved by hundreds of thousands of South Australians over the years, the Adelaide 36ers, the men’s basketball team. Many tens of thousands of people have enjoyed following the 36ers, at what was the powerhouse and is…
DetailsThe 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…
DetailsThe 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…
DetailsThe Legislative Council Budget and Finance Committee and the Auditor-General would need to investigate growing concerns about the Rann Government’s mishandling of the State Aquatic Centre Project, Liberal MLC Rob Lucas said today. “In June 2008 Cabinet approved and Premier Mike Rann announced that an agreement had been reached with Aqua43 (comprising Candetti Constructions and…
DetailsEvidence given today to the Legislative Council Budget and Finance Committee confirmed that Rann Government plans for budget and staff cuts in departments were in disarray. Senior executives from the Department for Environment and Heritage (DEH) told the Committee today they expected to be advised this month their share of 1200 full-time equivalent job cuts…
DetailsThe Rann Government’s funding of the Australia Day Council of South Australia was the worst of any state or territory government in Australia. “It is embarrassing to note that even the Northern Territory Government provides more than double the level of funding provided by the Rann Labor Government,” Liberal MLC Rob Lucas said today. Mr…
DetailsThe Rann Government had to explain why at a time of a looming crisis for WorkCover the WorkCover Board had only met six times last year, Liberal MLC Rob Lucas said today. “The Register of Boards and Committees tabled in Parliament shows the WorkCover Board only had six Board meetings last year, which was about…
DetailsTaxpayers were paying almost $800,000 every year for Rann Government board appointments of “Labor mates” or people with a close association to the Labor Party. “Mr Rann must explain publicly his reasons for continually appointing so many people with connections to the Labor Party to key Government boards and committees,” Liberal MLC Rob Lucas said…
DetailsThe Rann Government was trying to have the Parliament acknowledge on every sitting day that the Aboriginal people are the traditional owners of the land on which Parliament House is built. “This is just another example of political correctness and of rampant political tokenism by the Rann Government,” Liberal MLC Rob Lucas said today. “At…
DetailsTaxpayers had a right to know how much taxpayers’ money was being paid to key consultants such as Bruce Carter and Ian Kowalick by the Rann Government. “Premier Mike Rann and his Ministers have refused for eight months to answer questions on notice in the Legislative Council about how much taxpayers’ money has been paid…
DetailsThe Rann Government had refused to answer almost 1,200 questions on notice in the Parliament, some of which had been first asked six years ago in December 2002. “This is an increasingly arrogant Rann Government snubbing its nose at any pretext of Parliamentary accountability by simply refusing to answer important questions,” Liberal MLC Rob Lucas…
DetailsMinister Jennifer Rankine, who had employed a consultant to help her as Minister for Families and Communities, actually had 19 full time personal staff to help her with her job. “Earlier this month it was revealed that Minister Rankine had spent $80,000 over four months to employ consultant Margaret Wagstaff to help her with the…
DetailsThe Rann Government had appointed their new favourite “power couple” Margaret Wagstaff and Phillip Bentley to at least six Government boards and committees in recent years. “These appointments came in addition to the lucrative consultancies of $80,000 for four months work given to Ms Wagstaff by Minister Jennifer Rankine,” Liberal MLC Rob Lucas said today.…
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