Daniel Wills: I know something you don’t but secret state of South Australia means I can’t write about it
WE know something you don’t know, but we’re banned from telling you about it. Yet this super-secret information was broadcast live from State Parliament by the Government’s own TV service as our state of secrecy escalates into utter farce.
I KNOW something you don’t know but I’m banned from the simple act of writing about it as we reach a situation of high farce in the secret state of South Australia.
Late on Tuesday, Advertiser.com.au revealed that two Renewal SA executives had gone on sudden and unexplained leave.
We have been prohibited from saying almost anything more under state law, even though rumour has run rife through SA’s business and political circles.
You have a clear right to know why these two people are no longer at the department. They continue to be paid and have been overseeing hundreds of millions of dollars worth of public developments, including landmark projects such as the old Royal Adelaide Hospital.
The Opposition yesterday took up the issue in Budget Estimates. Infrastructure Minister Stephan Knoll gave a series of ridiculous-looking non-answers, which included repeating ad nauseam that the executives were on leave and a short public statement had already been issued.
Mr Knoll had all the appearance of a man in a straitjacket, frustrated and struggling against his own constraints but bound by forces outside of his power.
In an unprecedented development, The Advertiser took legal advice that we were unable to even report verbatim quotes from the debate, which were live-streamed on the internet by Parliament’s video service and could have been seen by anyone in the gallery.
In a further bizarre twist, Attorney-General Vickie Chapman issued a statement essentially saying nothing, apart from the fact there would be no further comment on the issue. But even her three-sentence statement contained information that we could not report under current state laws at the time of its release.
Then, several hours later, Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Bruce Lander QC issued his own statement permitting us to report Ms Chapman’s previous statement – which had merely said that Mr Lander could not release any further information about the matter. The Parliament yesterday became a theatre of the absurd.
Not only is the fourth estate barred from publishing information in the public interest, but even from telling you all of the reasons why that censorship is in place.
It is a plot line so ridiculous that not even the script writers at Yes, Minister or Utopia would dare put to air, for fear no one would ever believe it.