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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-03-24 Daily Xml
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CHELTENHAM PARK

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen) (14:32): My question is to the Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing. Has the minister had dealings with former Labor senator and SAJC lobbyist Nick Bolkus in relation to the sale of Cheltenham racecourse and what was the substance and purpose of those discussions?

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mrs REDMOND: Mr Bolkus was appointed by the government as the presiding member of the Stormwater Management Authority and was concurrently a lobbyist for the SAJC. Mr Bolkus also heads the Australian Labor Party's fundraising arm, Progressive Business SA.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON (Elder—Minister for Transport, Minister for Infrastructure, Minister for Energy) (14:33): Stay there, mate. This is a bloke who is confused about the mysteries of the preferential system. He is also very concerned about where the steps disappear to at the top of the escalator. He has never worked out that one either. I am not going to take advice from the man who misplaced Frome.

The reason why I am answering this is because I was told earlier today that the opposition would ask a question about Nick Bolkus and the SAJC and tie it in with the stormwater authority, which makes it a lot easier to prepare an answer in advance. I do thank that kind person (who shall not be named) who told me this: it was very generous of them.

The Hon. K.O. Foley: Go on, tell us.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: No, no. The allegation, I am told, is going to be that Bolkus was improperly appointed by the SAJC and was also acting on the stormwater authority—something to do with Cheltenham—at the time. I am advised that the senator was appointed in writing by the SAJC and advised that that had been passed through what I think it calls its finance subcommittee, agreeing his rates and all of that.

As to the matter of the stormwater at Cheltenham, he did sit on the stormwater authority, at the recommendation, I have to say, of local government. They send in their nominations and who they think should chair it, and he was their recommendation. On only one occasion (I am advised by the secretary of that committee) was Cheltenham ever raised during other business in February—that was in February 2008—from which he absented himself. He subsequently resigned from the board, I think, on 20 February. He never had any dealings whatever with Cheltenham on that authority, but it was very helpful of you people to let me know the question was coming so I could check it in advance.

As always, they are so helpful to each other, because what is happening now with the Liberal Party is the friends of Nick versus the friends of Dorothy, and the fight has opened up again—and I am sure that, if they were from Sydney, they would know precisely what I am talking about.

An honourable member: Name them.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I don't think you'd want that to happen. The truth is this: we knew in advance that they were coming in with smear and innuendo because they cannot stand Labor people and they do not like Nick Bolkus, but I can say there are other people who had faith in Nick Bolkus—

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Who?

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Ian Smith—do you remember Ian Smith (I think he was an adviser to Jeff Kennett)—and some other fellow called Alexander Downer, both of whom are in business with him, but I am sure we will not hear any reflections upon those people, only upon Bolkus.

Ms CHAPMAN: Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. This is completely irrelevant to the question, of which, he claimed to the house, he had had notice and had the answer, and he still has not answered the question.

The SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: We were advised of the smear against Nick. I will tell you this: he is appointed by the SAJC and we met the SAJC to discuss the sale of Cheltenham. I do not control who they appoint, nor would I seek to, but I will tell you this. That process of discussion on the sale of Cheltenham involves the SAJC's being regularly disappointed in the position of government because we imposed an open space requirement of 30 per cent, which, of course, was criticised by those on the other side—we were too hard on the SAJC.

In fact, at an earlier time, they wanted to allow them to sell the whole of Cheltenham for industrial purposes. Do you remember that—industrial purposes. The SAJC got a much harder deal out of us than it would ever have got out of the opposition and, of course, the other smear was going to be that, somehow, he had a conflict of interest, which can be demonstrated by the records of that body to which his appointment was recommended by local government.

Isobel does not often get a question from them because she is a bit smarter than the leader, so they do not like her doing that, but you notice that, when he is a bit worried about it, down it goes to Isobel, she gets her question. We know who is behind it: it is the Leader of the Opposition. If he really wants to take on Nick Bolkus's character, let us do it outside the house and let it be tested at law on the proper burden of proof, where he can call witnesses and where he can also demand the production of documents.

I am sure I can speak for the former senator. I have not raised it with him, but I am sure he would love to have the smears tested in a proper court with proper standards of proof. I am sure he would love that. However, I am sure of this: we will not hear any opposition member utter a murmur about this outside of this house.

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