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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-10-28 Daily Xml
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Gillman Land Sale

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:25): My question is to the Premier. Given that the Premier has accepted ultimate responsibility to ensure the probity arrangements in relation to the deal, why didn't he then ensure that a probity adviser was appointed prior to the negotiations commencing with ACP?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:25): This has all been canvassed at length in the report. What in fact happened is that once the transaction, the actual negotiations for the transaction were undertaken in earnest, that's when the probity auditor was appointed.

Ms Chapman: Rubbish!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Well, that happens to be—

Ms Chapman: Absolute rubbish!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: That actually happens to be—

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader is warned for the second and final time.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: That happens to be the truth. Unfortunately, the probity auditor should have been appointed at an earlier time. That's the criticism; not that there was not a probity auditor appointed, or even that the probity auditor was not appointed before the negotiations, in earnest, began. It's just that it should have been at an earlier time. That was proper process. It was not something I was aware of.

I think we are entitled to assume that our agency was taking all relevant steps. It didn't, and that's unfortunate, and I have to accept, and the minister has to accept, responsibility for that, and we do. But it needs to be seen in this context. There was a probity auditor appointed; it just was the timing of the probity auditor's appointment. Of course, this criticism—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: This criticism emerged in the Auditor-General's Report.

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader is living dangerously.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: This is old news. This was a criticism made by the Auditor-General which we accepted at that time. It's simply been one repeated by Commissioner Lander in his later report.

The SPEAKER: The member for Morialta is warned for the second and final time. Deputy leader.

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