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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-05-30 Daily Xml
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SA PROGRESSIVE BUSINESS

The Hon. M. PARNELL (14:45): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion a question on the topic of SA Progressive Business.

Leave granted.

The Hon. M. PARNELL: My office has been sent the latest promotional flyer for SA Progressive Business, the party political fundraising body for the Australian Labor Party. The covering letter is, naturally, signed by the chair of SA Progressive Business, Nick Bolkus, who, I remind members, was also cc'd into the correspondence between property developers and the government in relation to Mount Barker, documents that took court proceedings to dislodge.

Through this SA Progressive Business document there is some confusion about who SA Progressive Business is actually working for. Is it the government or is it a political party? At times it says, 'Link your business with government' and at other times it says 'Linking Labor and business'. The pamphlet is completely upfront about the main benefit of joining these events, and that is, 'the opportunity to host senior government ministers' and also attendance at 'private briefings with key state ministers'.

I point out to members that 'minister' is a statutory role appointed by the Governor and that this role is now being shamelessly used by the Labor Party as bait to raise money for its political purposes. I guess that, sensing how the shameless blurring of the lines between the business of government and partisan fundraising would make some members of the community uncomfortable, the pamphlet is at pains to describe SA Progressive Business events as 'reputable business functions'.

I am actually surprised that there is no testimonial or quote in the pamphlet from the chair of the Keith Hospital describing the way that he finally managed to get the ear of government by shelling out cold hard cash to the ALP coffers to attend one of these SA Progressive Business fundraising events. The pamphlet lists a series of key events in 2012-13. First up is twilight drinks on 5 July with 'Hon. John Hill, Minister for Health and Ageing, Mental Health, Substance Abuse and the Arts and Hon. Ian Hunter, Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Social Housing, Disabilities, Youth and Volunteers'. My questions of the minister are:

1. How many SA Progressive Business events have featured you as the drawcard?

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The Hon. M. PARNELL: You can ask that as a supplementary, the Hon. Mr Ridgway.

2. Do you think it is appropriate that a political party uses the lure of direct access to senior government ministers as a way of raising money for itself?

3. I remind the minister that the former ALP government in Queensland banned its ministers from attending these types of events because of the stench and the cynicism in the community that they caused. Will you push for a similar ban in South Australia? If not, why not?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (14:48): I have no portfolio responsibilities to this chamber about SA Progressive Business but, to entertain the council very briefly on this issue, I thank the honourable member for his advice that I have an appointment for twilight drinks. I was aware that I had an appointment at some stage but I have not checked the date in my diary yet, so I did not really know when it was. The honourable member asked how many SA Progressive Business functions have featured me as a drawcard. The answer is none; I am not a drawcard. The key benefit to the community is the ability to listen to me speak at length on this government's achievements, which I am happy to do wherever I go and wherever I am.

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