Premier Jay Weatherill maintains hard line on ICAC hearing secrecy

PREMIER Jay Weatherill is maintaining his hard line on keeping ICAC hearings secret and has accused those pushing for greater transparency of playing to the media.

• Labor uses numbers to stop open ICAC hearings in South Australia
• ICAC boss blasts state ministers over lack of responsibility
• ICAC to investigate what ministers knew about Oakden
• Inquest: Psychologist ‘appaled’ by conditions at Oakden

PREMIER Jay Weatherill is maintaining his hard line on keeping ICAC hearings secret and has accused those pushing for greater transparency of playing to the media.

Mr Weatherill hit out at Senator Nick Xenophon on Tuesday, labelling his decision to target independent MPs who voted with the Government to maintain secrecy as a stunt.

But Senator Xenophon countered that if his stance was a “stunt” then so was that of Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Bruce Lander, who holds the same view that he should be allowed to hold misconduct and maladministration hearings openly.

“If he’s accusing me of a stunt then he’s also accusing the ICAC Commissioner of the same thing, which is an absolute nonsense,” Senator Xenophon said.

The SA senator has pledged to run candidates for his SA Best party in next year’s state election against three independent MPs — Martin Hamilton-Smith, Geoff Brock and Frances Bedford — who sided with the Labor Government to reject changes which would allow some ICAC hearings to be held openly.

This includes the current inquiry into the abuse of elderly residents at the Oakden aged care facility.

Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Bruce Thomas Lander QC. Picture: Dylan Coker

Senator Xenophon has also said he would refuse to support a minority government in South Australia that did not allow more transparency.

Mr Weatherill said Senator Xenophon’s stance on open hearings would cause “chaos”.

“Nick is very fond of chaos. He’s a media operator,” he said.

“He basically trades and sells media stunts. This is just exactly what he would like but it’s not consistent with good government.”

Mr Weatherill also accused the state Opposition of trying to make political mileage out of the secrecy debate.

“They’ve seen the political opportunity to jump on board this most recent sad incident in relation to Oakden,” he said.

“We won’t be shifting our position just based on current controversy.”

Former Labor MP Frances Bedford who now sits as an independent. Picture: Mike Burton

However, Deputy Opposition Leader Vickie Chapman said her party had “been pushing for open ICAC hearings for years”.

“Jay Weatherill must have been napping in Parliament as well as at his ministerial office if he missed the fact that the Liberal Party supports open ICAC hearings,” she said.

Ms Bedford — who is yet to announce whether she will run as an independent at the election — has defended her vote to maintain the status quo, saying there was “no good reason” to open up ICAC hearings.

Instead, a Royal Commission was the best way to hold a full public inquiry, she said.

However, Ms Bedford has revealed that she was given reason to be concerned about Oakden as far back as 17 years ago.

“I had to get a constituent out of Oakden in 2000, I had concerns back then,” Ms Bedford said.

“She hated that place, they were not pleasant surroundings. It wasn’t the nicest nursing home in the world, but I never saw any mistreatment.”