Labor says Stephan Knoll should pay back $130k in expense claims, as ICAC launches probe into MPs’ use of country members allowance
Labor wants Stephan Knoll to pay back every cent he has received in country members allowance since entering Parliament – totalling $130,000. It follows Thursday’s shock news that ICAC will investigate 10 years of state MP travel claims.
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The State Opposition has called for Transport Minister Stephan Knoll to pay back all the money he has received for a country members allowance since he entered Parliament – totalling $130,000.
It follows Thursday’s shock news that South Australia’s corruption watchdog will investigate whether state government ministers and MPs have rorted a controversial travel allowance over the past 10 years.
Mr Knoll on Tuesday revealed he would pay back $29,574 as he told Parliament a 2018 remuneration tribunal ruling added confusion to the system, which he was seeking to overcome by paying back all money claimed since the update.
Mr Knoll said he will not receive the travel allowance until the proper meaning of the new rules is clear.
The rule change in 2018 said MPs must incur actual expenses to get it, rather than have it be granted as an automatic payment whenever they travelled.
Forms, however, filed out by MPs from before the change still require MPs to sign a declaration saying that they have incurred an actual expense.
Opposition Treasury spokesman Stephen Mullighan said on his own measure Mr Knoll should pay back all money he has received from the allowance since being elected in 2014.
“If Stephan Knoll is paying back $30,000, his own test dictates he should be paying back the full $130,000 he has claimed since 2014,” Mr Mullighan said.
Mr Mullighan also pointed out one the mistakes Mr Knoll admitted to earlier in the week – when he said he was in Adelaide but was in regional SA – was during a fundraising event in Mount Gambier.
ICAC to investigate MPs’ travel claims
ICAC Commissioner Bruce Lander confirmed the investigation just hours after two ministers were quizzed in state parliament about why they claimed accommodation allowances while they were at a Fatboy Slim concert, overseas, interstate and at various sporting events.
It will deepen the pressure on Premier Steven Marshall. There are calls to sack ministers who have paid back thousands of dollars and internal Liberal speculation that the premier will be forced to act.
Mr Lander last month revealed he would look into the Country Members Accommodation Allowance after questions were raised about the use of the scheme by upper house president Terry Stephens.
In a statement on Thursday, Mr Lander confirmed he would “make further inquiries in respect of all claims for the Country Members Accommodation Allowance by any member of parliament over the last 10 years”.
Mr Lander said he had discussed the investigation with the state’s Auditor-General to ensure there would be no duplication. “In due course the Auditor-General and I will discuss what recommendations can be made for improvements to the manner in which claims are made for an allowance,” he said.
“This investigation will be conducted in private as is required by legislation.”
Earlier, the government used its numbers in parliament to quash a push to sack two ministers caught up in the growing scandal.
Opposition legal affairs spokesman Kyam Maher welcomed the ICAC probe.
“Over recent weeks, Steven Marshall and his Liberal colleagues have refused to answer basic questions or take responsibility for their use of taxpayers’ money,” Mr Maher said.
In a spirited question time, Mr Knoll and Primary Industries Minister Tim Whetstone were urged by the opposition to justify why they had claimed the allowance – that permits MPs who live 75km or more from the Adelaide general post office to claim $234 a night when away from home.
Mr Knoll came under fire for claiming the allowance on February 1, the same night he is understood to have attended the Fatboy Slim concert on Glenelg Beach.
Opposition transport spokesman Tom Koutsantonis asked Mr Knoll if he had received the tickets as a gift, and declared them on his register of members’ interests.
Mr Knoll responded: “I am happy to have a look at the substance of what the Member for West Torrens is claiming.”
Earlier the opposition asked why Mr Knoll has been claiming taxpayers’ money to stay at his mum and dad’s house while attending sporting events on the weekend, including an Adelaide Strikers match on January 26.
Primary Industries Minister Tim Whetstone came under fire for claiming a country members allowance for 12 days in 2018, when he was on a US trip to explore agricultural technology.
“I did find administrative errors and I corrected them,” he said on Thursday. “I have offered to repay all incorrect claims.”
Analysis shows Mr Whetstone claimed for nights in Adelaide when he had claimed travel allowance for those nights in a raft of locations across SA, and interstate in Brisbane, Canberra and Melbourne.
The opposition on Thursday sought to bring on a motion of no confidence against Mr Knoll and Mr Whetstone.
Convention dictates a minister must resign if the parliament has no confidence in them. But the Government shot down the vote.
Mr Koutsantonis claimed that Mr Marshall was engaged in a “cover-up” and ignoring “corruption”.