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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-11-11 Daily Xml
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Grievance Debate

PUGLIA

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite) (15:19): Madam Speaker, I have been adding up—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Members will be quiet and take their seats.

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: I have been adding up the Rann Puglia bill. The Premier has spent anywhere between $2 million and $3 million of taxpayers' money in relation to the Puglia region of Italy since 2007, and may spend up to $6 million by 2013-14 if the largesse continues. Clearly, they are endeavouring to conceal this truth. There is no justification for this spending. It is a pet project of the Premier, protected from cuts recommended by the Sustainable Budget Commission through the personal intervention of the Premier.

The Prince of Camelot has sailed off to Puglia. He has described Adelaide as 'Camelot on the Torrens'. He has seen Puglia before him, and he has decided to bestow the riches of South Australia upon it. The trouble is that it is the taxpayers' money. Back here in Camelot, schools are being closed, hospitals are facing closure, public servants are being sacked, rural South Australia is being sliced up and small business support has been cut, but he is over there spreading the joy. The whole thing stinks. In the interests of openness the Premier must reveal the following:

1. He must tell us the address of the house described in his register of interest as 'Puglia property, spouse'. If there is nothing to hide, tell South Australians and the media where the property is, and show South Australians that there have been no planning concessions or other benefits granted by local authorities that might be perceived as a conflict, given our activity levels in Puglia.

2. The Premier must explain the full financial or in-kind benefits described in the Premier's register of interests as—

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: Point of order.

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: You don't like it, do you?

The SPEAKER: Sit down. Member for Croydon, your point of order?

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: My point of order is that all members are required to address the chair, and the member for Waite is addressing the television cameras rather than the chair.

The SPEAKER: Yes, I uphold that point of order.

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: The Premier must explain the full financial and in-kind benefits described—

The SPEAKER: The member for Waite will address the chair rather than turn his back on me from across the floor.

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: The Premier must explain the full financial or in-kind benefits described in the Premier's register of interests as 'Travel to Italy as a guest of the Pugliese government, spouse', including free travel, accommodation, gifts, and any payments made.

3. The Premier and ministers must provide a full list of any gifts or benefits received from any party in Puglia, advise where such gifts are, and if they exceed the allowable dollar value. Are they home on the mantelpiece or in ministerial offices?

4. The Premier must reveal the circumstances of the employment of Mr Sasanelli and dispel public perception—and you need only read The Advertiser letters to the editor to see it—that this is a case of jobs for the boys—

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Croydon!

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: We know that the position was not advertised. The Premier must come clean on whether or not the position was created especially for Mr Sasanelli as a personal friend and fully outline the relationship between Mr Sasanelli and his family.

5. The Premier must deal with questions about ministerial responsibility and code of conduct. We have heard today that a minister has received paintings from Mr Sasanelli which are kept at home as gifts. If these paintings—

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson: That is a lie!

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: We have just heard it.

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: If these paintings have been gifted or purchased at a discount—

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Croydon!

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: —an explanation must be given as to why they were not declared on the Members' Register of Interests. There needs to be full disclosure to ensure that there is no perceived link between Mr Sasanelli's appointment and any such gift.

6. I believe that the Premier is about to go on yet another trip to England. There have been so many. Is he attending job interviews? Is he seeking employment in Europe? And is a holiday house in Puglia part of the Rann retirement plan? If it is, it is being funded by the taxpayers of South Australia.

These questions need answers. All this delivers a simple message: the state needs an independent commission against corruption. Perhaps the Puglia farrago and the Premier's inability to deal with it partly explain why he steadfastly opposes an ICAC. Sunshine is the best disinfectant. State taxpayer-funded investments pushed forward by the Premier must be explained. This has created a perception of conflict. The exposure of the Puglia imbroglio and this waste of money itself could have all been avoided if the Premier had made different choices.

As leader of the government, the Premier must bear full responsibility for the waste and must justify himself to the hardworking taxpayers of South Australia, who are facing one of the worst budgets in recent memory. It is not at all surprising to hear reports in the media today of Labor backbenchers meeting in secret to question the Premier's leadership. South Australians have suffered long enough with scandal after scandal under this leader. Labor said once, 'It's time'; well, I say to Mr Rann, 'It's time.'

The SPEAKER: The member's time has expired. Sit down.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr PISONI: I move to extend; I was enjoying that.

The SPEAKER: There will be no extension of time.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Finniss, keep your voice down.

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