As South Australian Mental Health Minister Leesa Vlahos clings to her job, we ask what it takes for a minister to be sacked
MENTAL Health Minister Leesa Vlahos is keeping her job despite revelations she was warned more than two years ago about problems at the scandal-hit Oakden nursing home.
- Nursing home shame - Opposition says the Premier doesn’t care
- David Penberthy: Pollies busy covering backsides over health bungles
- Minister ‘knew about conditions at nursing home in 2014’
DESPITE revelations she was warned more than two years ago about problems at the Oakden facility for elderly dementia sufferers, State Mental Health and Substance Abuse Minister Leesa Vlahos is clinging on to her job.
What does it take for a minister to be sacked?
South Australian state cabinet members who become embroiled in scandal or struggle in their portfolios seem far less likely than their colleagues in Canberra and some other states to face summary dismissal.
The 15-year-old Labor state government is fiercely loyal to its ministers and Premier Jay Weatherill has resisted sacking Ms Vlahos.
As Jamie Briggs and Sussan Ley have discovered over the past two years, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull takes a harder line on ministers who run into trouble.
A scathing report this month revealed residents of the state-run Oakden mental health facility had been physically abused and overdosed with medication. There have also been calls for fresh inquiries into the sudden deaths of some residents.
Claims that Ms Vlahos should have stepped in when concerns were first raised about the facility haven’t been enough for the minister to stripped of the portfolio. In fact, nothing short of getting into trouble with the police seems to prompt the dismissal of an SA state minister.
Industrial Relations and Gambling Minister Bernard Finnigan was sacked from the ministry after being charged with child pornography charges in 2011.
Tom Koutsantonis was forced to give up the road safety portfolio in 2009 after it was revealed he had been hit with more than 30 speeding fines.
Flinders University political scientist Haydon Manning said sackings had been rare during the Rann and Weatherill governments due to a lack of obvious ministerial corruption or instances of ministers misusing public funds for personal gain or misleading Parliament.
“There’s no law against incompetence,’’ Associate Professor Manning said.
“A stuff up doesn’t warrant dismissal but at the next reshuffle you could well and truly be demoted out of cabinet or given a lowly set of responsibilities.’’
Associate Professor Manning said premiers were reluctant to give oppositions the satisfaction of a political scalp.
Federally, Mr Turnbull moved swiftly to dispense with Mr Briggs’ ministerial services in 2015 after a public servant complained about the MP’s behaviour towards her in a Hong Kong bar.
In Queensland, Labor Minister Gordon Nuttall was dumped from the Health portfolio in 2005 over the hospital scandal involving Indian-trained surgeon Dr Jayant Patel. Nuttall was jailed several years later for unrelated corruption offences.
State health systems are notoriously difficult for politicians to manage and SA Health Minister Jack Snelling has survived in the portfolio, despite his struggles to deal with scandals — including the underdosing for chemotherapy patients.
At the federal level, former prime minister John Howard allowed Bronwyn Bishop to continue as aged care minister during the 2000 “kerosene baths” nursing home scandal.
But Mr Howard dropped Mrs Bishop from the ministry after the next election and she remained on the backbenches until being elevated to Speaker by the Abbott Government.
MINISTERIAL DEPARTURES
— Federal Cities and Built Environment Minister Jamie Briggs quit the frontbench after a complaint about his behaviour in a Hong Kong bar.
— Federal Health Minister Sussan Ley quit in January over a travel expenses scandal sparked by the revelation she purchased an investment property during a taxpayer-funded visit to the Gold Coast.
— NSW Liberal Premier Barry O’Farrell quit in 2014 after apparently forgetting when questioned at a corruption commission hearing that had been given a $3000 bottle of wine
— Northern Territory Country Liberal Party Minister John Elferink was sacked from the Corrections portfolio in 2016 over revelations about the mistreatment of detainees at the Don Dale youth detention centre.
— Another NT minister, Nathan Barrett, quit last year, after it was revealed he had sent a sexually-explicit video to a female constituent.
— WA Liberal Treasurer and notorious “chair sniffer” Troy Buswell quit in 2014 after he crashed a government car into several other vehicles and initially failed to report the incident to the Premier.
— NSW Labor mines Minister Ian Macdonald was sacked in 2009 over travel rorts and was later jailed for misconduct in public office.
— NSW Labor Aboriginal Affairs Minister Milton Orkopoulos was sacked as a minister in 2006 after being arrested over child sex offences. He was later jailed.
— Howard government ministers David Jull, John Sharp and Peter McGauran were dumped from the frontbench IN 1997 over the so-called travel rorts affair.
— Federal Labor Special Minister of State Mick Young stood down in 1984 over the Paddington Bear Affair. Young forgot to declare a stuffed bear toy to Customs when returning overseas but was later cleared of wrongdoing by an inquiry.
— Federal Liberal Health Minister John MacKellar and Customs Minister John Moore were sacked in 1982 over the Colour TV Affair. MacKellar escaped paying duty on an imported television by listing it on a Customs form as black and white