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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-02-09 Daily Xml
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GAWLER RACECOURSE

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (15:31): I have a sad story to tell today, a tale of deceit, deception and betrayal. The setting of the story is right here in this chamber and the date is 15 October 2009. It was on that day that the then minister for urban development (Hon. Paul Holloway) was asked a very direct and unequivocal question, as follows:

Has the minister been lobbied in relation to the future of the Gawler racecourse by former Senator Nick Bolkus?

The answer was, to quote from Hansard:

No, the Hon. Mr Bolkus has not lobbied me in relation to that matter.

The minister went on:

People have already suggested that somehow there has been involvement of Mr Bolkus, and so on. Since this development plan came up I certainly have not spoken to Mr Bolkus at all in relation to this matter...during the period this matter has been proposed.

The opposition can now reveal that, on 2 September 2008—12 months prior to Mr Holloway saying no—Mr Holloway's office was considering an email sent by Mr Bolkus. The email said that Thoroughbred Racing wanted to meet Mr Holloway in relation to the Gawler racecourse. Of course Mr Bolkus is a lobbyist for TRSA. We have now learnt that that meeting happened on 3 September 2008.

How do we know about the email? Well, while most people were doing their Christmas shopping in December, down at the Supreme Court on 8 December Justice Kevin Duggan was presiding over a case involving the Gawler racecourse. We found the email reference in evidence before court. Two other documents show that the ministerial office was considering the matter on 2 September, and on the bottom right-hand corner is a note saying 'Gawler racecourse $6 million'. The minister's Outlook diary shows that in September a third meeting has also now come to light.

Supreme Court transcripts show the Wednesday meeting or meetings involved Mr Bolkus, described in evidence as 'a TRSA lobbyist' and Stephen Holmes, a director of the development advisory company Connor Holmes on behalf of TRSA. Yet, on 15 October 2009, Mr Holloway unequivocally denied in parliament that he had been lobbied over the controversial racecourse development by Nick Bolkus, who was a well-known lobbyist and an important part of the ALP fundraising machine. Let me read the question again:

Has the minister been lobbied in relation to the future of the Gawler racecourse by former Senator Nick Bolkus?

I will reread the answer:

No, the Hon. Mr Bolkus has not lobbied me in relation to that matter.

The state opposition has found more evidence that contradicts what the minister told this parliament. Mr Holloway told this council and, through this chamber, the people of South Australia that he could not remember who worked on preparing the ministerial development plan amendment to rezone the Gawler racecourse for a major shopping and commercial centre. He claimed in parliament he could not recall which consultant did the work, but we have learnt the truth. He had already met with Connor Holmes and corresponded with them and accepted their offer to do the work.

On 25 September 2008, Mr Holloway wrote and signed a letter to Stephen Holmes of Connor Holmes acknowledging that the TRSA had offered to fund and undertake investigations for the preparation of the ministerial DPA. Documents obtained by the opposition through the Supreme Court now prove that Connor Holmes did the work and the firm was paid by Thoroughbred Racing SA, which is the same entity that wanted the rezoning.

I simply cannot believe that a senior minister (as Mr Holloway was then) cannot remember meetings, letters and being lobbied. There are millions of public dollars at stake in this project, which will disastrously impact on Gawler's main street traders. The Gawler council, naturally, is opposed to such a crazy scheme. The traffic problems will be enormous and are still unresolved, and valuable open space, which could be used to expand the Gawler High School, will be sold.

Labor ministers have hidden behind the alibi that they forget the details. However, they should not forget their responsibility to this parliament and they should not mislead this chamber, and I believe the evidence is clear that Mr Holloway has done just that. There is a third point. Labor ministers must not forget their responsibility to the electorate: they have and we have found them out. Sadly, this evidence calls into question every answer the Hon. Paul Holloway gave as leader of the government in the upper house for the last nine years.

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