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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-06-18 Daily Xml
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Parliamentary Committees

Select Committee on Sale of State Government Owned Land at Gillman

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:58): I move:

That a message be sent to the House of Assembly requesting that the Premier (Hon. J.W. Weatherill) and the Treasurer (Hon. T. Koutsantonis), members of the House of Assembly, be permitted to attend and give evidence before the Legislative Council Select Committee on Sale of State Government Owned Land at Gillman.

This is a relatively brief procedural motion I move as the chair of the Select Committee on Sale of State Government Owned Land at Gillman. The committee resolved that it was critical in the interests of transparency and accountability that Premier Weatherill and Treasurer Koutsantonis, who have an intimate and detailed knowledge of what actually went on in relation to the sale of state government owned land at Gillman, be asked to come and present evidence to the select committee.

In speaking briefly to the motion, I note that it is not unprecedented for ministers to present evidence to Legislative Council select committees. In my time in the parliament, former ministers Lynn Arnold, Roy Abbott, and at least one other came and presented evidence to Legislative Council select committees. The former in relation the Marineland inquiry and the latter in relation to the inquiry into the South Australian Timber Corporation.

It is not true for the Premier or the minister to indicate that it is not possible or unprecedented. It is certainly uncommon, I accept that, and ministers of various governments both Labor and Liberal over the years have preferred not to come and present evidence to upper house committees. Nevertheless, the committee felt so strongly about this particular issue that it resolved that these two ministers be asked to come and present evidence. In the interests of transparency, if we are to get to the facts of the situation, given the conflicting evidence we have received and are likely to receive, it would be extremely useful and also in the public interest for the Premier and the Treasurer to come and give evidence to this committee.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. D.G.E. Hood.

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