Gout, Mr Hendrik

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright) (15:32): Hendrik Gout has done it again. This great investigative reporter has uncovered trouble in the house—not this house, but clearly it is about who gets to challenge to come into this house. The trouble at the moment is about a couple of councillors on Tea Tree Gully council—one a Liberal Party member, one a former Liberal member (and they are besties)—trying to muddy up another Liberal councillor to try to reduce the numbers of those who might be seeking preselection. We all know that there are no depths to which Hendrik Gout will not stoop.

Hendrik was, of course, a Liberal Party staffer until he was sacked, but loyal to some he remains. So, Hendrik pursues and harasses a Liberal councillor until he agrees to be interviewed over claims for child care. He was concerned that his family would continue to be harassed, and I have no doubt that was the sense they felt as Hendrik was banging on their front door. My understanding is that elected members are entitled to childcare costs when attending council meetings and workshops. Indeed, it is particularly important for women on council and, when I was minister for local government, I worked hard to encourage more women to stand for council, but it is not unreasonable for young fathers to also require assistance.

I am not in a position to validate or otherwise the childcare costs that were the subject of Hendrik Gout's story. However, he did say that they were validated. I would expect, however, that council administration would ensure they were proper. But why did Hendrik not mention the childcare costs of councillor Luethen-Soper in his story? She has a young son and has made similar claims for costs since her election, but no mention of this. There was no mention of the nearly $2,000 in costs incurred by ratepayers for Councillor Paula Luethen-Soper to attend the Australian Local Government Association national conference when council was already being represented by the mayor and the chief executive, and no mention of any other councillors in any other councils who have required childcare costs to be met.

So, clearly, there is trouble in the house. Liberal Party member Paula Luethen-Soper, keen to be preselected as the Liberal candidate for Wright (and I have to say, I wish her well in this endeavour) is no doubt aided by her fellow Golden Grove councillors: ex-Labor Party member, ex-SA First candidate, ex-Liberal Party member, Paul Barbaro—and to be clear, that was the CV of one person—and the on-again off-again former Labor Party members Bernie and Sandy Keane.

We know there have been problems in the past with the preselections for Wright, and I will have delight in detailing more of that at a later date, but here we have another Gout special undertaken, no doubt, at the direction of the member for Unley. You see, Paula Luethen-Soper is his girl in this preselection race, and I recommend you watch this space. The gang of four on Tea Tree Gully council have been so adept at local politics they have forged an alliance of Labor and Liberal councillors so, no doubt, a few more of the Liberal councillors on Tea Tree Gully council can look forward to similar treatment.

Paula Luethen-Soper and her band of happy helpers would be much better off fighting for the people of Golden Grove who elected them to council than trying to besmirch her Liberal colleagues on council. I spoke last sitting week about their collective ineptitude in allowing moneys allocated to Golden Grove for our roads, our parks and our gardens to be transferred to other areas within council. They voted for it unanimously. There was not a peep from any of them. I know members are keen to be updated on Castle Eaton Reserve and the remaining horse's head, courtesy of Paula Luethen-Soper.

The mayor—not any of our councillors, as Paula Luethen-Soper has defended the destruction of the play sculptures and Bernie Keane has been mute about them—has requested a report be put to council, so I am hopeful that at the next council meeting we will see the agreement to replace the sculptures. If that happens, it will be thanks to Mayor Kevin Knight, not the four Golden Grove councillors. I will keep the house—this house, not the troubled Liberal house—updated. I know you wait anxiously, like watching for the clock to arrive at 4.30 for the next episode of The Bold and the Beautiful. Instead, it is Pusillanimous and the Pitiful.