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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-12-01 Daily Xml
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FIRST HOME OWNERS GRANT

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:25): I seek leave to make an explanation before asking the minister representing the Treasurer questions about the home savings boost grant.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: I have been contacted by a constituent who signed a building contract on 10 September 2009 which meant they were eligible for the $14,000 home savings boost. That contract was terminated by the builder on 30 March 2010 outside the home savings boost period which meant they therefore lost their eligibility for that particular grant. I have a copy of a letter this constituent, David Rogers, has written to the Treasurer in his role as Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education. He wrote:

I am writing to you again about the loss of our Home Savings Boost payment of $14,000 caused solely by your own Public Servant who was inappropriately running a private house building business during Public Service working hours from within the TAFE area of your Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology whilst collecting a Government salary as follows:

The letter continues:

The private building business was run from inside your Government Office over several years and included using an official Government TAFE email address, other Government resources and the Government Office as a private building office during working hours to order house building materials from private building suppliers and to engage subcontractors.

The Public Servant concerned was emailing and phoning private house building clients during Government working hours regarding progress on the building of their house etc, from within the Government Office, also using an official Government email address.

This Public Servant was using Government equipment in the Government office during Government working hours including use of the Department's photocopier to copy hundreds of private house building documents for submission to Local Council for building approval etc.

Given the time I will not be able to read all of the letter, but further on, point 7 states:

However, when this Public Servant ran into difficulties with the two other houses being built during Government working hours, this Public Servant told us there was no time to continue with our house because the problems with the other houses were consuming all available time...after all there are only so many working hours available to conduct a private house building business within a Government Office...whilst trying to fit in the Public Service duties!!!

Then in point 9 of the letter:

Despite our pleading with this Public Servant—

who was the builder—

to not cancel our Building Contract, because we would lose our entitlement to the $14,000 home savings Boost, this Public Servant went ahead and terminated our Building Contract (after having commenced our house) with full knowledge of, but no regard for, the financial problems it would cause us in loss of the Boost payment.

The Hon. R.P. Wortley interjecting:

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: No, we are taking it up with the government. I have a copy of a letter from Mr Ray Garrand, the chief executive, to Mr David Rogers, dated October 2010, which states:

I refer to your correspondence...providing information alleging that Ms Lily Zenere, an employee of this department was operating a 'house building business' from within a campus of TAFE SA Adelaide North. The Premier and Minister Snelling would like to thank you for bringing this matter to their attention and have asked that I respond to you directly on their behalf.

Further in the letter:

An investigation has concluded that Ms Zenere has conducted some outside activities, without authority, that are unrelated to her duties as a Quality Officer for TAFE SA Adelaide North Institute. Ms Zenere has been instructed in writing to cease such activities immediately and I have requested that she be closely managed to ensure ongoing compliance.

My questions are:

1. Why was no significant disciplinary action taken against the Public Service employee, given the circumstances outlined and conceded by the chief executive of her department, Mr Ray Garrand?

2. Does the government accept that the actions of one of its officers has meant that a young couple has been denied eligibility for the $14,000 home savings boost?

3. Will the Treasurer or the Minister for Finance (it is possibly the Minister for Finance's section now) reconsider their application or consider an ex gratia payment to this young couple?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women) (15:29): I thank the member for his questions and I will refer them to the appropriate ministers in another place and bring back a response.

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