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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-09-08 Daily Xml
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Grievance Debate

Minister for Infrastructure and Transport

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens) (15:18): The government wanted evidence of fraud. They wanted evidence of bullying and intimidation. They wanted evidence of physical intimidation by the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Well, here it is, sir. We have the receipts. The receipts are staff members in the Mitchell electorate office who were fed up with the conduct and behaviour of a man not fit to hold office, not fit to hold a commission from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, not fit to exercise the duties of a minister of the Crown, not fit to hold employees, not fit to hold public consultations and not fit to sit in this parliament.

These accusations are horrific. That resignation letter sent the parliament silent. This was a staff member of the minister crying out for help when they were abandoned by their employer. We even have a date of physical intimidation, and why? Because this staff member dared to speak truth to power to say, 'It is inappropriate for me to fill in time sheets inappropriately and I won't do it. I won't sign these time sheets. This person hasn't worked those hours. I don't care if they are related to you. I won't do it.'

Rather than being intimidated and bullied, this person should be promoted. This person should be held up as an example. Instead, what we get is the mind games, the victim blaming. The media today has been backgrounded by government MPs and the Premier's media unit: 'Disgruntled MP, couldn't sort out the mediation. These things happen.' They probably mentioned a few other things that are unmentionable in the parliament about this poor person.

Where are the real Liberals to stand up for this? Where are they? I thought you were the party of independence. Where are you to stand up for your employees? How can you sit back and watch this happen? We have an email thread from the minister's office saying: 'I was on the phone to Corey, and he mentioned details about Tui's working day.' Tui's maternity leave did not finish until April 6, but she could not be paid because it would affect the entitlements of her maternity leave.

But she worked days in March earlier that month, 'Oh, we will just fraudulently change the time sheets just to make it up—doctor the time sheets.' Well, this staff member would not put up with it. Meanwhile, what is the government doing? Running a protection racket for a minister. So the opposition will be referring these accusations to the Anti-Corruption Branch of South Australia Police.

There is no clearer example in my mind of something that needs referral for investigation. This cannot stand. This cannot be allowed to occur. We are given great authority and power in this place and that is the test of a person. Give them authority and power and how do they behave? Well, we have seen it with the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport: appalling, appalling, appalling.

In his electorate: an elderly, retired constituent abused, intimidated and threatened by the member; volunteer associations representing grassroots sports: bullied, intimidated and threatened by the member. Now it is the staff. Do you know the old saying, where there is smoke, there is fire? Well, the house is ablaze—ablaze with accusations and allegations, and the Premier told us today that he had no knowledge whatsoever about any of these accusations.

I do know that the resignation letter was dated 5 January 2018. There was something coming up in 2018 that was quite sensitive for the government: a state election. I wonder where Ms Tui Comas went to work. Where was she employed after she left the electorate office of the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport? Where did she go? We will find out. We have the answers on the record. We also have statutory declarations proving the minister misled the parliament. It is as clear as day. Again, the government does not act.

The standards you walk by are the standards you accept. This government has a riddled history of clogging up our courts and ICAC with accusations from their MPs and now there are more accusations. And what is the Premier's defence? Something about me, four years ago, five years ago, six years ago. Well, quite frankly, the Premier needs to clean up his act and his government's act very quickly.

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