ICAC boss Bruce Lander faces parliamentary grilling over SA Health corruption claims
ICAC boss Bruce Lander is set to be called before a parliamentary committee to explain his fears of corruption in SA Health — and why he can’t afford to investigate.
SA News
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- ICAC boss concerned over possible SA Health corruption
- How to get the most from your Advertiser digital subscription
Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Bruce Lander will be called before a parliamentary committee to explain why he believes SA Health is “at serious risk of corruption” but that he can’t afford an investigation.
The hearing looms as political dynamite with MPs from all sides of politics lining up to grill Mr Lander on the issues which will also give him a platform to air his concerns in detail.
The Advertiser revealed Mr Lander is so gravely concerned with possible corruption within the huge department he asked the State Government for $2 million to help an investigation, which would include hiring eight staff.
“Persistent themes have emerged in respect of the misuse of public money, the manner in which public resources are utilised and the manner in which staff responsibilities, including those of clinicians, are overseen,” Mr Lander wrote in his request for extra resources last year.
“In my view SA Health, through its local health networks, are at serious risk of corruption, misconduct and maladministration.”
However, Treasurer Rob Lucas rebuffed the call noting the ICAC budget had been boosted to more than $14 million.
An Advertiser investigation has subsequently revealed there have been more than 1000 complaints to ICAC over alleged corruption in SA Health and the rate is now running at almost 300 a year.
SA BEST MLC Connie Bonaros chairs the parliamentary committee on health services and says she is appalled at the claims being made about the health department.
She now intends to call Mr Lander to appear before the committee to detail his views on possible corruption within SA Health and why he cannot conduct a proper investigation.
“I will take advice from my Select Committee secretary, but I intend calling Commissioner
Lander before the Committee to air his concerns in more detail,” Ms Bonaros said.
“At the very least I want to know more about the concerns the Commissioner raised with SA
Health’s CEO, Dr Chris McGowan ‘several times’ and what assurances Dr McGowan gave
him.
“To quote the Commissioner: ‘the record keeping are so bad and the arrangements so bad
that you can’t identify precisely what arrangements were or should have been. And it is very
difficult to identity corruption. Better record keeping, in my opinion, would identify more
corruption.’ Just think about that for a moment — and the potential ramifications of that.
“SA Health is a massive department — one of the state’s biggest with a budget of about $6
billion.
“For the Commissioner to issue such a warning should sent shockwaves across the
entire community because its taxpayers who pay the $6 billion for SA Health to operate.
“If the department is mired in maladministration and corruption, you can’t even begin to
imagine the massive losses involved.”
Ms Bonaros noted that before the 2018 state election, (SA-Best founder) Nick Xenophon, called for a Royal Commission into SA Health, describing it as “bloated, toxic and badly managed”.
Ms Bonaros said: “The Select Committee I chair into health services in SA — which is something SA-BEST established as a fallback position after our calls for a Royal Commission voted down by both the Liberal Government and Labor Opposition — has already seen plenty of evidence of that.
“Now we have the ICAC commissioner wanting to conduct an inquiry because of concerns SA Health is riddled with corruption and failing processes. Nick’s words and warning are as true today as they were back then — this has been a long time coming.”