URBAN RENEWAL AUTHORITY

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:09): I seek leave to make an explanation before asking the minister representing the Premier a question on the subject of the Chief Executive of the Urban Renewal Authority.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Almost a month ago, The Advertiser covered a story, 'Transport guru Fred Hansen appointed to help revitalise Adelaide's suburbs'. The story said:

Premier Jay Weatherill today announced former Thinker in Residence Fred Hansen will head the state's Urban Renewal Authority.

The article continued:

The Urban Renewal Authority will be responsible for the Bowden development, the Port Adelaide Waterfront overhaul and projects such as Woodville West on the Grange train line. It will bring together agencies responsible for land and housing development, including the Land Management Corporation, Defence SA and Housing SA.

In recent days I have been seeking to view a copy of Mr Hansen's contract as the chief executive of the Urban Renewal Authority. Public Service sources believe that the contract will be in excess of $400,000 and my office has been seeking to either confirm that or not. We first went to the Office for the Commissioner of Public Employment and were advised by a senior officer there that they did not have a copy of the contract and that they had been asked to prepare a draft, but that was as far as they had got.

We were then referred to a senior officer within the Urban Renewal Authority to handle our enquiries. We were told there that there was no final contract, that all they had was an initial draft, and that there had been another meeting yesterday and significant questions still needed to be answered in relation to the contract. We were then referred by this senior officer in the Urban Renewal Authority to another senior officer in the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure as the best person to speak to about this particular contract.

The Liberal Party has been advised that there is turmoil in relation to the preparation of this particular contract, that there are significant conflicts in relation to various provisions to be included in it, and that crown law has had to be called in to try and help resolve the conflicts that exist at the moment. My questions to the Premier and appropriate ministers are as follows:

1. Is it correct that Mr Hansen actually commenced his employment yesterday, and is now actually working as the Chief Executive Officer of the Urban Renewal Authority without a contract of employment?

2. Was the Premier responsible for this mess and, if not, which minister approved Mr Hansen actually commencing employment without a contract of employment?

3. What are the significant issues of conflict between Mr Hansen and government representatives which have prevented the signing of an agreed contract of employment?

4. What was the total remuneration package originally offered to Mr Hansen, and what is the current remuneration package being offered to Mr Hansen, if it is different to the original offer made to Mr Hansen?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women) (15:13): I thank the honourable member for his questions, although I do not accept any of the assertions underpinning his questions whatsoever at this point in time. I don't accept any of them, because we know how often the Hon. Rob Lucas comes into this place with poorly researched material, with inaccurate and incorrect information. Time and time again he comes into this place with most—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: So many times the Hon. Rob Lucas comes into this place with poorly researched material and incorrect and inaccurate facts and figures. If there is a bit of a gap in the information that he has, we know that he just makes it up. He just fills the gap in with whatever he fancies; he just pulls it from the sky. So, I don't accept any assertions underpinning his questions whatsoever; however, I am prepared to pass those questions on to the Premier in another place and, if he thinks fit, he will make a response.