Premier Steven Marshall says parliamentary privilege is ’not a shield for impeding’ ICAC inquiry
Premier Steven Marshall says MPs should not use parliamentary privilege as a “blanket shield” to impede an ICAC inquiry into travel claims – as another MP says he’s co-operating.
SA News
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- See which MPs are remaining silent on the ICAC investigation
- ICAC investigating potential criminal conduct in travel scandal
Premier Steven Marshall says MPs should not be using a convention of State Parliament, known as privilege, to slow down a corruption probe.
However, he has stopped short of telling Liberal MPs to not seek or claim parliamentary privilege – a move that had frustrated an inquiry by former Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Bruce Lander into a controversial travel allowance.
“Although I am very respectful for the centuries-old parliamentary privileges position, I don’t think it can be used as a blanket shield for impeding or delaying this inquiry,” he said on Wednesday.
Asked if he would instruct his MPs to vote against any parliamentary privilege bid, Mr Marshall said it would be inappropriate for him to interfere.
“If there is a vote in the parliament, I will be looking at the wording very carefully,” he said.
“I want to keep parliamentary privilege available. I don’t want it to be used as a block or a shield … against an inquiry gathering the information that’s required.”
Independent MP Troy Bell has joined the chorus of MPs saying that they have not sought parliamentary privilege as Mr Lander investigated Country Members Accommodation Allowance claims.
Mr Bell told The Advertiser he was “fully co-operating” with inquiries and was not one of the MPs which Mr Lander has said was stalling his investigation by seeking parliamentary privilege.
The Mount Gambier’s MPs admission means there are only four MPs that have not publicly denied they were trying to stall Mr Lander’s investigation.
Last month Mr Lander revealed an anti-corruption investigation into use of the Country Members Accommodation Allowance has been delayed – and may be dropped completely.
He launched the investigation after MPs paid back almost $80,000 and five Liberal MPs had admitted errors or confusion over their payments.
Liberals Fraser Ellis and Adrian Pederick have not responded to requests asking if they had sought to stall ICAC.
Neither did former minister Stephan Knoll, or President of the Upper House Terry Stephens, who both resigned after the investigation was launched.
State MPs could next week be forced to vote on whether or not their colleagues should be able to claim Parliamentary privilege.
Mr Marshall’s position is seen as integral because the Liberals have the numbers in the Lower House to support such a motion.
However, in the Upper House the move would need the support of crossbenchers after Labor ruled out any support for such a bid.
The situation raises the possibility that Mr Stephens, who has offered his resignation after questions were raised about his allowance claims, could lose a bid to claim privilege, if he were to do so.
Greens Upper House MP Mark Parnell told The Advertiser he would not support any bid to use parliamentary privilege to frustrate a criminal investigation.
However, like Mr Marshall, he did raise the issue of MPs having to ensure they could protect whistleblowers meaning some diary entries, for example, may need to be considered.