Stunning evidence given today to a Parliamentary Inquiry revealed that the Chief Executive of a major company believed the WorkCover expression of interest process seemed "smelly” and “improper". Mr Paul Serong, Chief Executive of Cambridge Integrated Services, made the comments to the Legislative Council Statutory Authorities Review Committee about eventual successful bidder Employers Mutual Limited's…
DetailsEvidence given yesterday to the Legislative Council Budget and Finance Committee by Under Treasurer Jim Wright had revealed that Funds SA had been engaged in the practice of “short selling” of shares which had been banned recently by Australian Government regulators. Liberal Member of the Legislative Council, Rob Lucas, said today that short selling of…
DetailsTreasurer Kevin Foley had been embarrassed by revelations of further major problems with the management of a major IT project in his Treasury Department. Evidence given in June this year to the Legislative Council Budget and Finance Committee by Under Treasurer Jim Wright had revealed that the original $22.5 million budget for the Revenue SA…
DetailsThe Rann Government had spent $5 million on an IT programme called “Maintenance Works” for the South Australia Housing Trust (SAHT) which did not work. Senior executives from the Department for Families and Communities (DFC) giving evidence to the Legislative Council Budget and Finance Committee today confirmed that the SAHT had now scrapped and written…
DetailsLiberal Member of the Legislative Council, Rob Lucas, today called on Premier Rann to introduce new controls of accountability on Ministers’ spending on overseas and some interstate travel. “As a first step Ministers should be required to provide details of total costs, purpose and results of each overseas and certain interstate trips on the government…
DetailsThe Hon. R.I. LUCAS (21:33): I rise to support the Address in Reply and, in doing so, I formally thank the Governor for the speech he presented to parliament on behalf of the government. In opening my remarks, I endorse the remarks of my colleague the Hon. Michelle Lensink in her conclusion that, as I…
DetailsThe Hon. R.I. LUCAS: I turn now to the second issue that I want to raise in my Address in Reply contribution tonight, and that is to return to the issue of the arrogance of the state Labor Government, Premier Rann and his ministers. We in the parliament see every day the arrogance of the…
DetailsDocuments released under Freedom of Information (FoI) had revealed the Rann Government had employed more than 140 people working full time inside Government departments’ on public relations, media and communications functions and was spending almost $19 million each year. Liberal Member of the Legislative Council, Rob Lucas, said today that the staff working inside Government…
DetailsFormer WorkCover Board Member Janet Giles today gave evidence to the Legislative Council Statutory Authorities Review Committee meeting in direct conflict with evidence of former Board Chair Bruce Carter and Chief Executive Julia Davison. “Ms Giles indicated to the Committee that she would have had concerns if Employers Mutual Limited (EML) had been allowed to…
DetailsThe Rann Labor Government was planning to spend more than $50 million on consultants and ‘in house’ expertise just to manage the process of public-private partnerships (PPP) for schools, prisons and the Marjorie Jackson-Nelson (MJN) hospital. “This proposed spending is clearly excessive and an outrageous waste of taxpayers’ money and yet another example of Mike…
DetailsJohn Blunt: “I mean, we have got business interests, as well, so we want good governance. We want to see things happen in this state.” Matthew Abraham: “You want to be looked after, too?” John Blunt: “Yeah, we want to make our projects happen, that’s for sure, but, you know, that’s a part of the…
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 was clear that if you were a ‘Labor Mate’ or had a close association with the Labor Party, your…
DetailsThere had been a massive $37 million blowout in the implementation costs of the Rann Government’s troubled Shared Services project. Liberal Member of the Legislative Council, Rob Lucas, said today that previously confidential documents released under Freedom of Information had now revealed that the Rann Government ignored advice about possible cost blowouts provided 18 months…
DetailsThe Auditor General should now investigate concerns which had been raised about the way the Rann Government had handled the tendering process for the State Aquatic Centre and GP Plus Centre at Marion. In June the Rann Government announced that the Aqua43 consortium, including MacQuarie Bank and Candetti Constructions, had been the successful tenderers for…
DetailsPremier Rann’s decision to appoint a ‘Labor mate’ and factional heavyweight to the WorkCover Board showed how arrogant and out of touch Mr Rann had become. Liberal Member of the Legislative Council, Rob Lucas, said today that Mr Rann was about to appoint Peter Malinauskas, State Secretary of the powerful right wing union, the Shop…
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