A total of more than $2 million had been lost on the first two Adelaide International Guitar Festivals in 2007 and 2008. “Mr Rann, in typically understated fashion, had described the Festival as “the largest of its kind in the world” and “the next big WOMAD equivalent in Adelaide” and also went on to accept…
DetailsPublic servants should be on the lookout as a gaggle of Rann ‘Spin Doctors’ are parachuted into well paid and senior positions in government departments and agencies. Information provided by public service whistleblowers combined with a comprehensive search of documents obtained under Freedom of Information has revealed a list of at least 13 ‘Spin Doctors’…
DetailsThe Hon. R.I. LUCAS (16:45): I move: That this council notes with concern recent appointments and actions by the Rann Labor government and other related matters. In recent years, I have given a number of speeches in this place on the issue of Rann government appointments, in particular, concentrating on Rann appointments to boards and…
DetailsAdjourned debate on motion of Hon. M.C. Parnell: 1. That a select committee of the Legislative Council be established to inquire into and report on taxpayer-funded government advertising campaigns with specific reference to: (a) the establishment of guidelines dealing with the appropriate use of South Australian government advertising; (b) the cost of government advertising; (c)…
DetailsStatutes Amendment (Prohibition of Human Cloning for Reproduction and Regulation of Research Involving Human Embryos) Bill The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (16:35): I indicate at the outset that I was one member who spoke about this matter at length almost six years ago, on 5 June 2003. I expressed my views at that stage, and I…
DetailsSenior Transport department executives yesterday gave evidence which conflicted with claims by Premier Rann about the state of readiness of South Australian projects being considered for funding under the $20 billion Building Australia Fund. Liberal MLC Rob Lucas said that on 29 October 2008, Premier Rann issued a media release listing South Australia’s five priority…
DetailsMinister Pat Conlon and his senior departmental executives were refusing to implement a key ruling by the Auditor-General which led to an audit qualification of the Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure’s (DTEI) 2006-07 financial accounts. Mr Jim Hallion, CEO of the DTEI, and other senior executives were questioned at today’s meeting of the Legislative…
DetailsThe Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:39): I want to talk also about what some sections of the media refer to as the ‘appointment of young Turks to refresh and reinvigorate a fading and lacklustre Rann cabinet’. The first “young Turk” was evidently Mr O’Brien who, at 59 years of age, must BE the oldest young Turk…
DetailsIn excess of $200,000 dollars had been wasted on a consultant developing a “new model” to handle surplus public servants, which was now not being used. “Senior executives from the Department of the Premier and Cabinet (DPC) gave evidence to the Legislative Council Budget and Finance Committee that consultant Hunters Management & Consultants had been…
DetailsThe 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…
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