The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (16:10): I rise to support the second reading of the Supply Bill. As I see it, the background to this debate features some of the comments made by the Hon. Mr Lawson in relation to South Australia’s credit rating, what I will refer to as the AAA credit rating debate. As…
DetailsThe Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:34): On 24 September last, I spoke on what I said was the pervasive influence and arrogance of the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association within the Labor Party and the Rann government. On that occasion I said: We can see the tentacles of the SDAEA everywhere in terms of the…
DetailsRecent decisions announced by the Federal Labor Government promising greater accountability on frequent flyer points now meant there was greater pressure on Premier Mike Rann to make similar changes. Liberal MLC Rob Lucas said that federal Labor Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner had admitted federal politicians were redeeming frequent flyer points for personal use. “In addition,…
DetailsAnswers provided last week by Minister Tom Koutsantonis and the Courts Administration Authority (CAA) on the Minister’s driving record had only raised further questions for the Minister to answer. A summary of the position, as outlined by Liberal MLC Rob Lucas, is as follows: • On 21 May 2007 Mr Koutsantonis was fined for speeding…
DetailsMinister Tom Koutsantonis had further questions to answer about his driving record after evidence given to a Parliamentary Committee by the Chief Executive of the Courts Administration Authority (CAA), Liberal MLC Rob Lucas said today. Mr Gary Thompson, CEO of the CAA, this week told the Legislative Council Budget and Finance Committee that about six…
DetailsBased on evidence given by Police Commissioner Mal Hyde, the Rann Government was highly unlikely to meet its election promise of 400 extra police officers by June 2010, Liberal MLC Rob Lucas said today. “Mr Hyde gave evidence to today’s meeting of the Legislative Council Budget and Finance Committee and confirmed that in June 2009…
DetailsRann Government Ministers and ‘Spin Doctors’ were wasting hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ dollars on personal mobile phone costs because they won’t use deals used by most cost conscious South Australians. “Mr Rann must explain publicly why he and his Ministers are paying up to $16,000 per annum when there are many local phone plans…
DetailsThe Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:29): Before turning to what I was principally going to speak about, the Hon. Mr Finnigan refers to accuracy in statements made by members. I would remind the member to have a look at the humiliating, red-faced U-turn delivered in the other place yesterday by the Treasurer in relation to the…
DetailsTranscripts of the Budget and Finance Committee and Statutory Authorities Review Committee hearings are posted to the Committee section of the South Australian Parliament website after the transcripts have been corrected by the witnesses. (Sometimes this process can take a couple of weeks.) The recent hearing of the Budget and Finance Committee on 2 March…
DetailsPremier Rann and Treasurer Foley had refused for two years to answer questions in Parliament about frequent flyer points collected from travel by Rann Government Ministers. “Documents obtained under Freedom of Information laws have revealed that Mr Rann and Mr Foley have had at least 44 separate overseas trips in the last seven years as…
DetailsPremier Mike Rann had agreed to pay the former CEO of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet (DPC), Warren McCann, $360,000 per annum for a new job managing only 13 people. Mr McCann yesterday confirmed in evidence to the Legislative Council Budget and Finance Committee that when he was appointed Commissioner for Public Employment…
DetailsA 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)…
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