SA Best candidate Connie Bonaros owes debt to MP John Darley
NICK Xenophon’s lead Upper House candidate has confirmed she owes more than $10,000 to her former boss, Upper House MP John Darley.
NICK Xenophon’s lead Upper House candidate has confirmed she owes more than $10,000 to her former boss, Upper House MP John Darley.
Mr Darley has listed Ms Bonaros’ debt on his register of members interests, and says the amount owed consists of a $10,000 personal loan dating back to 2009, as well as $3600 owing from a parliamentary trip to the US.
Ms Bonaros — SA Best’s number one candidate on its recently announced Upper House ticket — was a long time staffer for Mr Darley, a former running mate of Mr Xenophon.
In a statement, she confirmed she owed Mr Darley money, but said it was “curious” he’d only recently disclosed details of the loan.
“I was at the time very grateful for John’s assistance by way of his offer of a loan for
an indefinite period that arose in very difficult personal circumstances,” she said.
“Above anything else, I regarded John as a dear friend who was willing and able to assist me
during that period. I continue to appreciate the assistance he gave me.”
Mr Darley told The Advertiser he’d never directly confronted Ms Bonaros about the money, but said she’d continually promised to pay him back.
“I’ve never approached her ... I’ve never pushed her. She’s always said I’m going to pay, I’m going to pay,” he said.
“She’s always saying she’s going to do things but she never does.”
Mr Darley said he paid for Ms Bonaros’ accommodation costs on a study trip to the US in 2015, with the expectation she’d pay him back out of a daily travel allowance.
“That’s the way it works. We paid for all the accommodation in one bulk payment with Flight Centre but she was always expected to pay it back,” Mr Darley said.
Ms Bonaros said it “might well be regarded as unusual that an employer would require a staff member to repay travel expenses incurred while travelling for work purposes” but was prepared to repay the additional $3600.
SA Best Lower House candidates were expected to pay $20,000 to stand, but Upper House candidates are understood to be required to pay $40,000 given they would be elected to an eight-year term.
Mr Darley said he would be “disappointed” if Ms Bonaros had paid the substantial nomination fee before settling her debt with him.
“Absolutely, she should have paid me first,” he said.
Ms Bonaros said she had always intended to repay Mr Darley prior to contributing to the SA Best campaign.
“The reason for the delay in repaying Mr Darley stems, partly, from my inability to draw on significant funds owed to me as a result of my employment in his office because of an ongoing employment complaint I have made against him and (Mr Darley’s staffer Jenny Low),” she said.