Premier Rann must explain publicly the background to grants he has paid out of a Special Premier’s Fund. Evidence given this week by Mr Warren McCann, Chief Executive of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, to the Legislative Council Budget and Finance Committee confirmed the existence of a Premier’s Special Appeal Fund (minor grants…
DetailsQuestions have today been raised about a brewing financial scandal in the Premier’s own Departmental Protocol Unit. The Chief Executive of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet (DPC), Mr Warren McCann, yesterday told the Legislative Council’s Budget and Finance Committee that the DPC was still investigating the issue and was awaiting legal advice from…
DetailsRory McEwen today stands accused of trying to hide potentially critical documents by ignoring strict deadlines under Freedom of Information legislation. Liberal Member of the Legislative Council, Rob Lucas, said today that, on 6 July 2007 FoI requests were sent to Minister McEwen for all documents in his Ministerial office relating to Mr McEwen and…
DetailsRecent evidence given to a Parliamentary Committee by senior public servants has raised doubts about whether the Rann Government’s claimed $30 million a year savings in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) costs were actually being achieved. The Chief Executives of Education and Health have told recent meetings of the Legislative Council Budget and Finance Committee…
DetailsEvidence given today to a Parliamentary Committee by the Health Department Chief Executive has cast further doubt on Rann Government claims of $130 million in savings from a proposed Shared Services Centre. The CEO of the Department of Health, Dr Tony Sherbon, gave evidence to the Legislative Council’s Budget and Finance Committee this week that…
DetailsPremier 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 Member of the Legislative Council Rob Lucas said today it is clear that if you are a ‘Labor Mate’ or have a close association with the Labor Party, your…
DetailsSome government agencies are not complying with accountability requirements in terms of meeting time requirements for the tabling of annual reports in Parliament. Liberal Member of the Legislative Council Rob Lucas said today the Statutory Authorities Review Committee (SARC) should again investigate this issue and report on the accountability of agencies to the public by…
DetailsThe Hon. R.I. LUCAS: I move: That this council condemns the Rann government for its arrogance and inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour. I move this motion for two reasons, and the first is as a service to other members of the Legislative Council. Its general nature and drafting will allow other members, during the remainder of…
DetailsAnother black hole has emerged in the Rann Government’s claimed $130m in savings from its shared services centre proposal after evidence to a Parliamentary Committee from a senior public servant. The CEO of the Department of Families and Communities, Sue Vardon, this week gave evidence to the Legislative Council’s Budget and Finance Committee and stated…
DetailsLiberal Member of the Legislative Council Rob Lucas said today that Treasurer Kevin Foley had been left red-faced after an embarrassing blunder as he attempted to defend his beleaguered Shared Services Centre proposal. “In a statement issued to the media Mr Foley claimed that I had falsely stated that the State Government was trying to…
DetailsLiberal Member of the Legislative Council Rob Lucas today called on Premier Rann to clarify important details of a massive pay increase given to one of his key staff members. Yesterday’s Government Gazette revealed that Peter Chataway was given a $26,000 pay increase (16.8%) to a new pay level of $180,090. The Gazette notes that…
DetailsSome Rann Government ‘Spin Doctors’ and staff have just received massive pay increases of up to $26,000 per year and up to 16.8 per cent for one year. Liberal Member of the Legislative Council Rob Lucas said today that at a time when Premier Rann is fighting pay increases for nurses, dentists, psychiatrists and other…
DetailsLiberal Member of the Legislative Council Rob Lucas said today that Premier Rann and Treasurer Foley had refused for almost five months to answer questions in Parliament about frequent flyer points collected from travel by Rann Government Ministers. Last week in Federal Parliament all Federal Members were required to provide details of all frequent flyer…
DetailsThe Hon. R.I. LUCAS: As members will be aware, in recent months there has been increasing clamour from a number of commentators and others for an independent commission against crime and corruption in South Australia. I think many people are asking why in particular Attorney-General Atkinson and Premier Rann are so fearful of the establishment…
DetailsA damning report by the West Australian Auditor General on the WA model of Shared Services centres had cast further doubt on the Rann Government’s claimed savings for a similar plan. Liberal Member of the Legislative Council Rob Lucas said today that a centrepiece of the Rann Government’s budget forward estimates are claimed savings of…
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