Labor calls for Premier to allow early return to parliament, to deal with delayed ICAC inquiry into Country MPs travel claims
The State Government has refused to bring parliament back early to allow an ICAC anti-corruption investigation into MPs’ travel rorts to continue.
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Politicians will not cut short their winter break despite calls for state parliament to be recalled early to deal with a travel rorts mess.
An anti-corruption investigation into use of the Country Members Accommodation Allowance has been delayed after Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Bruce Lander revealed some MPs were not co-operating.
On Friday, Mr Lander said some MPs and their staff had cited parliamentary privilege in refusing to immediately hand over documents about their claims.
Mr Lander launched an investigation after MPs paid back almost $80,000 and five Liberal MPs had admitted errors or confusion over their payments.
Opposition leader Peter Malinauskas on Saturday morning called for state parliament to return on Tuesday instead of waiting until September 8 as scheduled.
Mr Malinauskas wants to put forward a motion “compelling MPs to provide all relevant information and documents to ICAC, thus allowing the ICAC investigation to continue expeditiously”.
“If Steven Marshall is serious about this issue, he will recall parliament this week, so all MPs are compelled to co-operate with this ICAC investigation, and provide all relevant information and documents,” he said.
“We are talking about MPs’ personal use of taxpayers’ money – there can be no excuse for any MP to refuse to co-operate with ICAC’s investigation.”
A State Government spokeswoman said “the parliament will be returning on the 8th of September as planned”.
It comes as a portable sign appeared at Tanunda in the Barossa Valley this weekend reading “MP Stephan “Knoddy” Knoll must go!”
Chateau Tanunda owner John Geber took credit for the sign when contacted by The Advertiser.
Mr Geber, who said he has had spirited discussion with the council about the sign on his land,
said he was frustrated by the former minister’s handling of a proposed tourism heritage train to the region.
“I have installed it because of pure frustration, I am a local resident who is completely disenfranchised,” he said.
“It was a heritage not-for-profit train that was going to be for the greater good of the Barossa where we need tourism.
“When a guy like me gets so frustrated, this is the sort of thing we do.”
Mr Geber claims Mr Knoll as Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government Minister, had erred in his decision to rip up a 120m section of the unused Tanunda to Nuriootpa rail line.
The roadworks would halt Mr Geber’s plans for a train to take tourists on a 33km train trip around the region.
The Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Chris Kourakis, found otherwise and decided the then Minister was correct in his power to pull up the small segment of rail line in order to allow a $4.8 million roundabout upgrade to proceed.
Mr Knoll, who represents the Liberals in the Barossa Valley-based seat of Schubert, was one of three Ministers to resign last month.
Dual perks scandals triggered a Cabinet reshuffle after the Government Whip Adrian Pederick and three ministers stepped down, including the high-profile Mr Knoll, who paid his parents rent while claiming the travel allowance from the taxpayer.
And David Ridgway also quit as Minister after The Advertiser revealed he had signed blank timesheets for his chauffeur, who was later reprimanded.