Bon Jovi tickets, a cannabis convention and chocolates among pollie expense claims
Bon Jovi tickets, a trip to a cannabis convention and a slice of land in the Scottish Highlands, complete with a title, are among the stranger declarations our MPs have revealed.
SA News
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- WHAT DOES YOUR MP OWN? EXPLORE THE SA POLLIE TRACKER
- South Australian politicians big ticket expenses revealed
- Latest subscriber exclusive giveaways, specials and prizes
What do Bon Jovi, a cannabis convention and a square foot of land in the Scottish Highlands have in common ?
They are all details buried in interests registers by South Australia’s State MPs.
What do Haighs chocolates, an iPhone cover and hand sanitiser have in common?
They are all details uncovered in credit card expenses of State Government ministers.
New analysis, undertaken as part of the Sunday Mail and The Advertiser Your Right To Know campaign, has uncovered the state’s property king, the most secretive Ministers and the MP who not only once forgot his house but is now misplacing receipts of goods funded by the taxpayer.
Secret Ministers
The Minister responsible for Freedom of Information, and another who is responsible for the biggest, most difficult portfolio in the State have the least transparent disclosure regime in the state.
Unlike other Ministers, whose disclosure registers go back year and are displayed on publicly accessible websites, Attorney-General Vickie Chapman and Health Minister Stephen Wade are only displaying the past 12 months of data.
Only Freedom of Information officers from the government departments can provide more historical data.
Quirky globe
Tickets for Mad March events, the races and the opera dominate gift registers of State MPs.
However, Skills Minister David Pisoni received possibly the quirkiest gift - a Jerusalem Globe Ball on Marble Stand worth on $111, given to him on an Israel Trade Mission in October last year.
The gift was rivalled only by Labor MP Blair Boyer, who was “loaned a 2004 Mercedes Motorhome for conducting business in capacity as Member for Wright donated by a resident of St Agnes SA” during an ongoing stoush with the Treasurer over an electorate office.
Trade Minister David Ridgway declared travel and accommodation to the 8th China Guizhou International Alcoholic Beverages Expo paid for by the Guizhou Provincial Government
While Education minister accepted tickets to the Bon Jovi concert in Adelaide.
Greens Upper House MP Tammy Franks declared attendance at the CANNATECH Medicinal Cannabis Conference in Sydney during October last year.
The most common gifts on the register are Qantas and Virgin memberships and tickets from Thoroughbred Racing SA and for events at the Adelaide Oval.
State MPs must declare all gifts of more than $750 from government sources to the Premier, and in their annual register of members interests, while the bar for gifts from industry sources was lowered from $375 to $350, according to guidelines released in August.
State MPs have also declared flight upgrades from economy to business class at the airline’s discretion, and entrance to sporting, community, cultural, or arts event deemed to be below the threshold.
Life’s a box of chocolates for Sanderson
Haighs chocolates, an iPhone case and anti-diarrhoea tablets are among the travel expenses charged back to the taxpayer by South Australian ministers and their staff.
The Sunday Mail can reveal that along with diplomatic passport costs of $508 for ministers, taxpayers also funded travel adaptors and pens.
Child Protection Minister Rachel Sanderson led a study tour about world’s best practice to improve outcomes for vulnerable young people around London and Leeds in May this year.
In the lead up to the trip, 30 SA-branded pens were ordered at a cost of $450, along with $76 worth of Haighs milk and dark assortment chocolates.
“The iconic South Australian chocolates were a gift to the Minister’s overseas hosts in appreciation for organising the two-day trip to Leeds,” a spokeswoman for Ms Sanderson said.
“The SA-branded pens were given to leading international experts, including academics, researchers and social workers, as a gesture of thanks by the Minister.”
Before Health Minister Stephen Wade made a week-long visit to the APY Lands last month, a first-aid kit was purchased along with diarrhoea relief tablets, Panadol, lip balm and hand sanitiser.
While Attorney-General Vickie Chapman was last year revealed to have charged taxpayers $19.95 to watch a hotel movie, that she since paid back.
But in her expenses from a May trip to China, was an iPhone case worth $59.95.
A State Government spokeswoman said: “The IT related equipment purchased for the Attorney-General’s trip to China was in line with security advice.”
The Sunday Mail understands the case was bought after those travelling on the trip were given protected devices by the department after being advised not to take their own phones.
Three US travel adaptors were also bought for the trip which now remain in the department for future trips.
The Homes
A slice of the Scottish Highlands
Labor MP Leon Bignell is the only local politician to claim a piece of international real estate.
The former tourism minister has declared “one square foot of land in Scotland” after getting a “Lord of Glencoe title that included the land in the Scottish Highlands” for his birthday.
However Scottish-born State Government Minister David Speirs has maintained his title as ‘property king’ as owner of 10 homes including three properties in Christies Beach.
An analysis of pecuniary interest registers has also revealed House of Assembly newbies Andrea Michaels and Joe Szakacs, who replaced John Rau and Jay Weatherill after they quit post the March State Election, have declared homes in Royston Park and Prospect, and Seaton and Hendon, respectively.
MacKillop Liberal MP Nick McBride continues to own 12 properties - 10 part are of one land package, Conmurra Station, in the South East.
Energy and Mining Minister Dan van Holst Pellekaan’s now boasts eight homes after buying a rural property in Tasmania - where he previously spent four years playing for the then NBL basketball side the Hobart Devils.
More than a third of MPs declared a trust fund - which many own property through.
But Labor MP Lee Odenwalder, and Greens MLC Tammy Franks have no listed land interests.
The partners
Almost a quarter of South Australia’s State MPs have declared that their partner works in the public service, new data shows.
Fifteen of state parliament’s 69 MPs have declared their partner works for a State or Commonwealth Government department or agency.
Nine Labor MPs, including Chris Picton, Joe Szakacs and Lee Odenwalder have declared their partners work in the public service.
Labor’s Koutsantonis has declared a family member while power couple Russell and Dana Wortley have declared each other.
Liberals Matt Cowdrey, Dennis Hood and Richard Harvey, SA best’s Frank Pangallo and Greens Mark Parnell also declared their spouses.
The forgetful Minister
After forgetting to declare his own home last year, the Sunday Mail can reveal the Tourism and Trade Minister David Ridgway has been the only MP to lose credit card receipts since the March State Election.
An analysis of reported expenses found Mr Ridgway lost the most receipts during his overseas and domestic travels.
At least seven missing receipts totalled more than $360 have been formally declared as missing by Mr Ridgway since he became a minister.
A spokesman said Mr Ridgway was required to undertake significant travel both locally and internationally, to build important relationships whether they be trade, tourism or investment opportunities.
“Every effort is made to keep a full and thorough record of all receipts,” she said.
Last year The Advertiser revealed Mr Ridgway had failed to list the Mitcham home he had owned since 2001.