Gifts given to SA councillors face increased scrutiny as they receive sporting tickets, wine and designer scarfs

A DESIGNER scarf from a high-profile political donor, corporate box tickets to the AFL and even chocolates from Santa Claus — these are among gifts and benefits declared by councillors as part of their official duties.

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A DESIGNER scarf from a high-profile political donor, corporate box tickets to the AFL, tubs of cheese and even chocolates from Santa Claus are among gifts and benefits declared by councillors as part of their official duties.

And elected members of the state’s 69 councils will be held even more accountable for gifts they receive under a toughening of standards aimed at further boosting confidence in local government.

An analysis of publicly available council records by The Advertiser reveals councillors have received and declared thousands of dollars’ worth of gifts and benefits since the November 2014 election.

They include football tickets, annual corporate box entry for mayors to the Premiers’ suite of the V8 Supercars, bottles of wine and meals.

Businesswoman and the Liberal Party’s largest donor, Sally Zou, is listed on the Norwood Payneham and St Peters’ Council gift register as having given a $300 Hermes scarf to councillor Sue Whittington for “networking”.

Chinese businesswoman Sally Zou gave Norwood Payneham and St Peters councillor Sue Whittington a $300 scarf, according to the council’s gifts and benefits register. Picture: Jo-Anna Robinson

Local Government Minister Geoff Brock’s office has confirmed that if re-elected, the Government would push ahead with reforming code of conduct provisions for councillors to bring them in line with tougher accountability standards for council employees.

The Advertiser reported last month that from April, council staff will have to provide details on a publicly accessible register of any gift or benefit valued at $50 or more, down from the current $100 threshold. And for the first time, gifts to family members will also have to be declared.

“It’s expected that when a revised Code of Conduct is in place for council members, the provisions regarding gifts and benefits will be in line with those that apply to council employees, as has always been the case with both codes,” a spokeswoman for Mr Brock’s office said.

“While the current minimum for declaration is set at $100, councils can have their own policy in place to declare lower values, and a number do that.

“Also individual members can place items on the register at a lower amount if they want to declare them, or even declare that an offer was made and refused.”

Under the code of conduct, councillors must not accept gifts that may create a “sense of obligation”, is “perceived to be intended or likely to influence them” or is from “a person who is in, or seeks to be in, any contractual relationship with the council”.

Many councillors declared items below the $100 threshold including NPSP Mayor Robert Bria who valued at $10 a “thank you” gift from La Casa Del Formaggio of a tub of bocconcini and parmesan cheese.

Mr Bria said he would rather be “ridiculed” for declaring something as “trivial” as cheese then get into trouble for not having declared the gift.

“My view is you are in a public role, anything that could potentially compromise you, you declare,” he said, adding that the council has its own policy requiring councillors to declare relevant gifts and benefits irrespective of price.

Adelaide City Council Lord Mayor Martin Haese declared the highest amount of gifts and benefits of $9000 including free tickets to events such as the Adelaide Cup, the Liverpool versus Adelaide United clash at Adelaide Oval, and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. He said he was “fastidious” about declaring any gift or benefit.

“Council sponsors quite a number of events and there is an expectation that in the course of my role, open these events, speak at these events or at the very least attend these events,” he said.

Mayoral gifts

LORD MAYOR MARTIN HAESE (Adelaide) – $9008

DAVID PARKIN (Burnside) – $150

SIMON BREWER (Campbelltown) – $955 (includes two gifts to Lady Mayoress)

ANGELA EVANS (Charles Sturt) – $2590

STEPHEN PATTERSON (Holdfast Bay) – $2250 (all items declared were more than $100)

KRIS HANNA (Marion) – $527 (inc gifts when he was councillor)

ROBERT BRIA (Norwood Payneham & St Peters) – $326

LORRAINE ROSENBERG (Onkaparinga)– $765 (all items declared were more than $100)

GLENN DOCHERTY (Playford) — No specific figure as only declared whether items “over or under $100”.

GARY JOHANSON (Port Adelaide Enfield) – $2164

BRUCE GREEN (Port Lincoln — $2910

DAVID O’LOUGHLIN (Prospect) – $1200 (all items declared were more than $100)

GILLIAN ALDRIDGE (Salisbury) – $488

KEVIN KNIGHT (Tea Tree Gully) – $160

LACHLAN CLYNE (Unley) - $80 (did declare other gifts but did not provide value)

RAY GRIGG (Walkerville) - $150

JOHN TRAINER (West Torrens) - $1020 (data on website only available back to July 2016)

*Many gifts are donated to council and some mayors did decline gifts