Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-03-24 Daily Xml

Contents

STRATEGY AND SUSTAINABILITY DIRECTOR

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:36): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for State/Local Government Relations a question about the appointment of her chief of staff.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: I beg your pardon, Mr President; I ask the question of the Minister for Urban Development and Planning.

The PRESIDENT: Who is your question to?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: To the Minister for Urban Development and Planning.

The Hon. G.E. Gago: Which one?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: The Minister for Urban Development and Planning.

The PRESIDENT: Is the leader seeking leave to make a personal explanation?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: No, Mr President. I am seeking leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Urban Development and Planning a question about the appointment of the Director of Strategy and Sustainability within Planning SA.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: The opposition has been advised that another person from within the government—in fact, the Minister for State/Local Government Relations' former chief of staff—has been appointed Director of Strategy and Sustainability within Planning SA. As I did in my previous question, my questions to the minister are:

1. Will he provide to this chamber by the end of question time a copy of all advertisements placed in relation to that position, the number of applicants who applied for the position and the number who were interviewed?

2. Will he provide a copy of the job and person specifications for that particular position and the total employment cost, that is, the salary, plus other benefits, including superannuation, motor vehicle and other benefits?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (14:38): Again, what happened in relation to Planning SA was that the former director of sustainability left several months ago to take up another position; so, there was a vacancy in that specialist area within the department. Again, similar conditions apply, as I understand it. The particular applicant for that job has been given a contract so that there is the expertise during this important period of establishing a new and very important department. I believe that, really, the same comments apply as I gave to the previous answer.