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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-05-06 Daily Xml
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Worrall, Mr L.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (14:40): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation on the subject of Mr Lance Worrall.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: The Budget and Finance Committee was told in December 2013 by the chief executive of the department in relation to the costs of the secondment of Mr Lance Worrall to the University of Adelaide that:

…he continues to receive his contracted remuneration but all of the other costs associated with that have been picked up by the university.

Documents released under freedom of information would appear to indicate that that statement given to the Budget and Finance Committee might not have been accurate. Those documents indicate that there is a series of cost claims against the office of the deputy chief executive in relation to Mr Lance Worrall. They cover areas such as publications, books, papers, taxis, airfares, taxi vehicle hire, accommodation and meals (domestic) and something called 'staff amenities'. Some of those costs, for example, relate to taxi and vehicle hire in January, $519.80; airfares (domestic), $1002.78; accommodation and meals (domestic), $406.55; and something called staff amenities, $159.50.

The documents also seem to indicate that the total salary and wages for that particular financial year for Mr Worrall were just on $300,000—$299,000—but the additional cost impacts added up to about $75,000, taking the total cost for the financial year to $374,000 to the taxpayers. My questions to the minister are:

1. Can the minister indicate whether or not the Budget and Finance Committee was given a correct and accurate representation of facts and that is, that the only cost to the taxpayers was Mr Worrall's remuneration and that all other costs associated with Mr Worrall's position were being picked up by the university?

2. If that's not correct, and if the taxpayers are picking up the costs, can the minister indicate, in relation to travel: was Mr Worrall required to travel economy class or was he entitled to travel business class or first class?

3. In relation to the taxi and motor vehicle costs claim—and I accept that these two last questions would need to be taken on notice—of $519.80, can the minister indicate the details of that particular claim from Mr Worrall?

4. In relation to the staff amenity claim of $159.50, can the minister indicate and take on notice what the details of staff amenity claims are and in particular the detail of that particular staff amenity claim?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:44): I thank the honourable member for his question, but I am sure it will come as no surprise to him that I don't have with me information on every single employee in the public sector's exact details.

The Hon. T.J. Stephens: How long have you had the job then?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I've been here a couple of months and I don't have, for the tens of thousands of public sector employees, exact details of which taxi they've taken when and where. However, I will take that question on notice, look at the questions asked and look at bringing back a reply, given the honourable member's very peculiar and unnatural interest in particular individuals.

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