Michael McGuire: It is untenable that Stephan Knoll keeps his job
Stephan Knoll dug himself into such a hole that he should have just completed the proposed tunnels under South Rd while he was down there, writes Michael McGuire.
Opinion
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In the truly excellent US TV series The Wire, there is a scene in series three where Detective Bunk Moreland sits down with career criminal and stick-up merchant Omar Little.
Moreland reminisces about how his old community has fallen apart under the weight of drugs and violence. Much of the violence was perpetrated by people like Omar. At the end of his speech, he tells Omar how it makes him sick “how far we done fell’’.
Which kind of sums up politics these days.
The olden days are never as golden as we would like to believe but, still, come on. We now have cabinet ministers who repay tens of thousands of dollars in apparently wrongly claimed expenses and they keep their jobs? That can’t be right.
Transport Minister Stephan Knoll has returned almost $30,000. Agriculture Minister Tim Whetstone almost $7000. Backbencher Fraser Ellis has offered to pay back $42,000. Liberal MPs Adrian Pederick and Peter Treloar have also “amended” claims. Two of Pederick’s claims for the country members’ travel allowance were for Christmas Day in 2011 and 2012. Apparently Santa Claus does exist – but only for politicians.
It’s worth remembering as well that all this information has been dragged out, not willingly given, after the ABC first raised allegations against Liberal MP and Legislative Council president Terry Stephens over his use of the allowance. ICAC is now having a look at Mr Stephens.
The country members’ travel allowance is paid to MPs who live more than 75km from the general post office in Adelaide. Up until December 2018 MPs were paid $225 a night while away from home. That was changed by the Remuneration Tribunal in December 2018 to $234 a night, but with the added caveat that the MP “incurs actual expenditure’’.
Knoll has repaid the money but wriggled all over the place explaining why.
During one catastrophic radio interview, and then a media conference where no further information was offered, Knoll dug himself into such a hole that he should have just completed the proposed tunnels under South Rd while he was down there.
Of course, Knoll has form on this front. His bewildering refusal to answer the straightforward question of how many bus stops would be removed during his recent effort to redraw Adelaide’s public transport system did more than anything else to sink the reforms.
Knoll, who was elected in 2014, is relying on what he says is “ambiguity’’ in how the eligibility of the allowance is assessed after the change in December 2018.
He said he had been staying with his parents and paid them board. “Until that ambiguity is resolved, I have sought to, out of an abundance of caution and to put this issue beyond doubt, I’ve repaid that money,’’ Knoll said.
Essentially, he is going for the idiot defence.
Which, given Knoll is in charge of a department with an annual budget of about $1.7 billion is something of a worry. In comparison, figuring out whether you are eligible for a country members’ allowance would appear fairly simple.
Anyway, when did Knoll become aware of this “ambiguity”? It’s not like he lacks for people he could ask for advice. He has personal advisers, public service advisers, access to Crown law. He could have picked up the phone and given the clerk in the House of Assembly a buzz.
Certainly, at least one of his Liberal colleagues had some doubts. MacKillop MP Nick McBride, who was only elected in 2018, raised the new determination with several of his more experienced colleagues and was told not to worry about it.
Through this whole COVID-19 crisis, there has been a general suspension of the usual disbelief in politics and politicians. Premier Steven Marshall has been seen to have handled the difficult situation well, as evidenced by our minimal rate of cases. Even Prime Minister Scott Morrison was seen to have rebounded from his inept handling of the bushfire crisis to put in a more solid performance.
But the actions of Knoll and the others drags public estimation right back down into the gutter. Especially if he is allowed to continue as a cabinet member.