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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-07-20 Daily Xml
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BURNSIDE COUNCIL

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:43): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for State/Local Government Relations a question relating to the investigation into the Burnside council.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: On 31 March this year, minister Gago announced that 'the investigator is in the final stage of the report, which is providing natural justice to those named in the report before it is provided to government'. The opposition is advised that some people expecting to be referred to in the report have been told that the confidentiality agreement letters, which marked the start of the natural justice period, were due to be issued yesterday, that is, Monday 19 July.

They have since been advised that the letters will not go out until next Friday, 23 July, a day after this parliament adjourns for its winter break; in other words, the natural justice period has not started. Last Sunday's Sunday Mail reported that the minister was expected to receive the completed report of the investigator last weekend. On 22 June the minister stated in this council that the investigator 'envisaged that a period of four to five weeks will be needed to complete the report', that being the natural justice period, and another 'further three weeks to finish his report'.

One month on, given that the natural justice period has not commenced, we are looking at a report being delayed as well from mid to late April, as the minister last advised us, to between 24 September and 1 October. My questions are:

1. Has the minister received the investigator's report into the Burnside council?

2. Did the minister or any member of her office or department request a delay in the commencement of the natural justice period or any other part of the process?

3. Given that the natural justice period that she announced on 31 March is yet to commence, what is the revised time frame and cost of the investigation?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister for the City of Adelaide) (14:45): I do not think I have ever received such a low-life sort of question. I am absolutely speechless. However, I will rise to the occasion. I will soldier on and do the very best I can to respond to a question that I think is beneath the honourable member opposite me, way beneath him. It is obvious that they have run out of material and so they are just making up issues as they go along.

They clearly have come completely unprepared for question time today. The first question we had in this chamber after a number of weeks was asked of a minister whose portfolio was inappropriate. She asked a question of the wrong minister. They cannot even remember our portfolios or get them right, that is how lazy they are. They have not even got the wherewithal to direct appropriate questions to appropriate ministers.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: I am being distracted here, but I will soldier on. Just collecting my thoughts, I have already put on the record my ministerial statement dated 22 June. I said quite categorically then:

I have been informed that preparations for the natural justice component of the investigation are well advanced. Mr MacPherson has now informed me that, after contacting the individuals named in the report as part of the process, he envisages that a period of four to five weeks...to finish his report.

That is the information that I have been given. That is the most up-to-date information that I have at hand. In terms of the commitment that the independent investigator gave me, he indicated that he hoped that a report would be to me by mid to late August. In relation to the question of whether I have a report, no, I have not got the report.

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink: Did you read it over the weekend?

The PRESIDENT: Interjections are out of order, and the minister should not respond to them.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: The interjection is: did I read it over the weekend? How dense is the opposition? If I do not have a report, how on earth could I read it over the weekend? How could I possibly read a report when I have stood here in this chamber and said, 'I do not have a copy of the report'? Then I am asked, did I read it at the weekend? What does it take? How can I possibly read a report when I have stood up here in this chamber and just said, 'I do not have a copy of the report'? The level of questioning is mortifying. I am ashamed to have to stand up in a place where we have a question time of this calibre. Really, it is a disgrace. I will soldier on, I will rise to the occasion as I always do.

An honourable member interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Whether I, or any of my officers, requested a delay in the report is an outrageous, mischievous question. Of course I have not requested a delay, and nor have any of my staff.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Ridgway should cop his punishment in silence.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: I have put on the record many times in this chamber that I have done all in my powers to expedite the completion of this report. I have stood here and spoken time and time again about my commitment to do that. I have demonstrated that commitment by offering extra support, and when that request has been taken up I have provided whatever assistance and report that the independent investigator has requested—at great expense, I have to add, but never mind that.

What I have said here is that the real priority for this government is to ensure that we allow the independent investigator to do the job that he was asked to do, that he do it in an independent way and that he is able to do it with a high level of integrity. When he does provide that report to me, if and where problems are identified, it will enable me to address those problems and ensure that those matters are fixed and that those problems do not occur again.

We have given a commitment here in this place to ensure that we enable the investigator to do the best job he is able to do and to provide us with a report of very high integrity. It is important that we have confidence in our local government sector and that, if and when problems do occur, they are taken seriously. We do whatever it takes to ensure that any problems are uncovered and that, if and when that happens, we do all we can to address those problems. Our local government sector is very important to us. It plays a vital role in our community, and it is most important that members of the public have confidence in their local councils.

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