HANSARD
SITTING CALENDAR
SEARCH
LIVE BROADCAST
Hansard Dynamic Member Index
House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-11-01 Daily Xml
Contents
Xml

Grievance Debate

Sporting and Infrastructure Grants

Mr TARZIA (Hartley) (15:17): Government secrecy is the enemy of the people. It breeds incompetence, which is also then kept secret. The Auditor-General's role is independent. It is to objectively audit and report on the receipt and expenditure of public money and to conduct audit work and report on various aspects of government. At the moment, the Auditor-General's ability to conduct his duties is being hindered by this government. The Auditor-General has a crucial role in maintaining proper process and public faith in government. It is extremely important that the government provides documents whenever they are asked.

Arbitrary exceptions to process increase the risk of undermining standards and eroding good culture. Avoiding practices that public servants are expected to carry out for all other public expenditure transactions risks undermining good practice. Do not ask just me, Mr Speaker, ask the Auditor-General—specifically, when he recently made a few comments in the Auditor-General's Report 2022.

These words are a particular reference to what can only be described as a scandal of the highest order, a scandal that has evoked particular concern from the Auditor-General, a scandal that we on this side of the house have committed to exposing since the very beginning. Seven months later, guess what? We are still talking about it. We will continue to probe this issue. That payment is understood to be around $133 million of sporting and infrastructure grants, all organised, drafted and approved outside standard public processes. Public practice that is expected did not occur, and the Auditor-General refers to this on a number of occasions.

The organisation of sports and infrastructure grants took place behind closed doors, in locked back rooms, the process of which was discussed in hushed tones amongst those opposite—and those opposite only. We know that because when we FOI'd the councils that received the money, and guess what? Some of them had no idea what the money was about—fancy that, when the councils own most of the facilities.

Where do the grants go? We know where these grants went. They totalled around $133 million, and of this $95.1 million went to sports grants and $38.2 million went to local infrastructure upgrades. When you dig a bit deeper, they are all fantastic initiatives for what I presume to be immensely grateful communities, but where did the funding go exactly? I can tell you right now, Mr Speaker: 96 per cent of it went to seats that Labor held or gained—69 of 72 sporting grants received.

Let me be clear, I am not necessarily criticising the merits of some of these grants or the clubs or the volunteers associated with them. I am criticising the shameless and disgraceful way and process by which this government and those opposite are using public trust and public money for strategic political gain. We ask the most basic questions of ministers in this chamber, ministers who are paid over $350,000, and they cannot even answer the most basic questions. Were you the patron of vice-patron of a club? Did you step out of the cabinet meeting when these grants were allocated?

Ms Stinson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Badcoe!

Mr TARZIA: They cannot answer the most basic questions, and it is outrageous. When asked recently in a committee, the Auditor-General told us that South Australian taxpayers should be confident that there is transparency and an equitable process being undertaken in the assessment of these grants; but, of course, he was not able to confirm that. Do you know why? Because he has asked for a number of documents and members on that side of the chamber will not even present these documents. When the Auditor-General was asked in the committee if he could rule out—

Mr Odenwalder interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Elizabeth!

Mr TARZIA: —anything along the lines of, say, misconduct or conflicts of interest, he did not have the answers. Do you know why? Because he has not been provided with the very documents to make that assessment. The Auditor-General is unable to confirm to the people of South Australia that these grant payments were authorised with the most basic degree of integrity and probity because this government refuses to give the Auditor-General the evidence that he needs.

We know that ministers had roles of significant authority in a number of the sporting clubs that received funding. If they signed a grant for these clubs, then it goes beyond all reason to assert that this would not be a conflict of interest. If this Premier, these ministers and this government have nothing to hide, then release the documents to the Auditor-General and all will be revealed.

PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS
MEMBERS
GET INVOLVED
ABOUT PARLIAMENT
VISIT
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
CONTACT