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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-04-28 Daily Xml
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COLAC HOTEL

Mr PISONI (Unley) (16:06): My question is to the Premier. Has the government, through the ALP, been raising funds for marginal seat campaigns and political advertising, using revenue from poker machines and strippers at the Colac Hotel? Recent public reports have revealed a factional fight within the Labor Party over access to revenue raised from the operation and ownership of the Colac Hotel. The enterprise has eight poker machines and advertises sessions with strippers on Thursdays and Fridays.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Federal/State Relations) (16:06): I know the Colac Hotel very well. For many years I sold meat trays in the Colac Hotel. One of my first jobs, organised by Rod Sawford and the late Mick Young, was to sell meat trays. I used to go after work in my suit and tie to the smoke-filled pub in order to sell meat trays to wharfies and storemen who thought, 'Who are you, you wanker?'

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: They were right, hey? I had to grin and bear the initiation that was the early 1980s of selling meat trays in the Colac Hotel. Of course, the member for Lee was heavily involved in it. As members would know, the Colac Hotel was purchased by the Port Adelaide Federal Electorate Committee at the instigation of the late Mick Young and the then secretary of the vehicle builders union; I think it was Kevin Lane. They went 50:50 in the Colac Hotel and the Labor Party has owned it ever since.

The Port Adelaide branch has a special deed. From memory, the deed states that the profits of that hotel shall go to the Federal Electorate Committee for the benefit of the federal candidate; then it would be available to assist the financing of other sub-branches in the Port Adelaide area and, where possible, marginal seats in both state and federal elections. I have never received any significant contribution.

The Colac Hotel is a fine Labor institution. It has been the scene of many celebrations and the odd commiseration and it holds fond memories. As members opposite would know, if one owns a hotel freehold and you sell its leasehold, limited conditions can be imposed on the person taking the leasehold. Ever since it has had topless waitresses I certainly have not been back—as surprising as that may be to some people.

The Hon. P.F. Conlon: And as much good as it did Kevin Rudd.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: And I am fairly certain none of my colleagues have been there, but I cannot vouch for the member for Lee. It is a little embarrassing but that is life in the Port.

In respect of matters in relation to the current running of the hotel, while I am aware of the issues involved, it is a matter for the State Secretary of the Labor Party, the State Executive of the Labor Party and the FEC itself. My understanding is that they are in agreement as to the way forward and it is being dealt with properly.

Wasn't it the Liberal Party, with Trevor Griffin as its adviser, that many years ago made a special company with a whole lot of different shareholdings so it could get around paying land tax on its site on Greenhill Road? It divided it up into 20 different lots so it could get away with not paying land tax. I do remember—and I have told the house this before, and I will tell it again—spending many an hour in the Corporate Regulatory Authority's office in Hong Kong with my then wife, Cathy. We took time to expose the fraud of Catch Tim. The deputy leader was right up to her neck in it. She was part of that web of deception, deceiving the Australian Electoral Commission, deceiving the parliament and deceiving everybody. We got to the nitty-gritty of it and exposed the deputy leader for one of the greatest electoral cover-ups and money laundering exercises this state has ever seen. So, don't you guys over there try to get on your high horse, or whatever it is you are playing with today. I was in Melbourne with the Premier at that time, I am advised.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Sorry?

Mr Pederick interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: He was not there on that day, but he was there, I think, either a couple of days before or after. Do you know what? There is no prison company there. There is no Church of Scientology. It was a Department of Industry and Trade development luncheon.

The Hon. M.D. Rann: We went to see Marius Kloppers.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: The Premier and I went to see Marius Kloppers, and I do not think Marius is into Scientology. I have the list. It was a Melbourne Investment Attraction—

The Hon. P.F. Conlon: Was Tom Cruise there?

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Was Tom Cruise there? That could have been the connection. It was a Melbourne Investment Attraction luncheon, and it was a list of companies compiled by the Department of Industry and Trade.

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: No; in fact, it was compiled by the Department of Industry and Trade, and I attended that luncheon. It was a defence industry luncheon, and I sat next to John Prescott, the chair of the Australian Submarine Corporation. Later that day, the Premier and I met with Marius Kloppers to get an update on BHP and Olympic Dam. I think you will find that the Premier had some other business meetings, none of which involved the said company at all.

So, all I can assume is that someone is playing dirty tricks and has set up the Leader of the Opposition. If I cut The Advertiser any slack, it may be that I was set up with that story in the paper last week and that there are people out there trying to do damage to this government by lying about things that never occurred. The story about my getting an intermediary to go out and try to get me a job with a contracting firm, to come back and bid on government contracting for major capital works, was a lie; I never did it. I just could not believe it. I have written to the Press Council about it, my lawyers have sent a letter to The Advertiser and Media Watch showed interest in it.It was a lie.

Whether or not it was a lie based upon somebody misrepresenting me, or whether it was part of an ugly dirty tricks campaign, maybe by the opposition or maybe by other parties, I do not know. Unless you can show us some documentation, this would appear to be a political dirty tricks campaign by somebody to damage the Premier and to damage me because you have to damage us—and, no doubt, my colleagues along the front bench with me—to have a chance of getting into government. It will not work if you are following made-up, fabricated lies.

We will go back and research it. We will look at all the emails, and we will do all the due diligence. We will make sure that we get to the bottom of this from our side, but early information is that no such documentation exists; we are checking that. We are checking the Premier's records, but there is certainly no record of his having met with this person. The suggestion that the Premier, I or anyone else would have been involved in such a transaction is absurd and quite offensive. All I say is: let us be very careful. Is there a dirty tricks campaign? I am not saying it is just you guys; it may not be you guys. All I know is that I have been the victim of something pretty bad—a smear.

Mr Pisoni: Look behind you!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Pardon?

Mr Pisoni: Look behind you!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: You reckon they are behind it, do you?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The house will come to order.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I say this: if this is not substantiated by the close of business today, the Leader of the Opposition has to do a couple of things. He, firstly, has to walk back in here later today, or tomorrow, and humbly apologise. He should also consider his future as Leader of the Opposition, because you cannot—

Members interjecting:

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: I rise on a point of order. This is just idiotic ramble.

The SPEAKER: Order! I think the Deputy Premier has moved a long way from the Colac Hotel.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I have, sir. I will wind up by saying this.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: The offices of treasurer and premier of this state, regardless of who the occupants are, are important principal positions in government and, if we are to be attacked, let it be done on a basis of fact. If, in fact, the Leader of the Opposition has either deliberately or incompetently stumbled into putting forward untrue allegations of this order he must apologise and resign as Leader of the Opposition.

The SPEAKER: The Deputy Premier will take his seat.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the Minister for Transport!

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