SA Parliament: Upper House MPs Connie Bonaros and John Darley at odds over unpaid loan

A BITTER feud between Upper House MPs Connie Bonaros and John Darley has again boiled over after Ms Bonaros did not list a $13,600 debt on parliamentary documents.

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A BITTER feud between Upper House MPs Connie Bonaros and John Darley has again boiled over after Ms Bonaros did not list a $13,600 debt on parliamentary documents.

Advance SA MP Mr Darley was furious his former employee had not listed the debt on the Upper House’s register of members’ interests, and said he should be “absolutely listed as a creditor as I haven’t received a penny”.

But Ms Bonaros, who is on compassionate leave from State Parliament, said “as far as I am concerned the debt has been paid” as the funds were sitting in a trust account.

Mr Darley listed a debt of $13,600 on his register of members’ interests forms last year. He 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 United States in 2015.

Ms Bonaros was a long-time staffer to Mr Darley.

“As John knows only too well, the outstanding amount owed to him has been sitting in a trust account since January this year,” Ms Bonaros told The Advertiser.

“John has been advised on more than one occasion that the funds were deposited there by me to resolve the issue once and for all.

“To date, John has chosen not to accept the payment … one must ask him his reasons for doing so.”

Connie Bonaros: “As far as I am concerned the debt has been paid.” 17/03/18 Connie Bonaros from SA BEST at the Plympton\\Kurralta Girl Guides SA polling station. picture CALUM ROBERTSON

John Darley: “I won’t send the receipts until I hear about this so-called complaint.”

Mr Darley said he had not sent the receipts to Ms Bonaros’ lawyers that would trigger the transfer of funds because he was waiting to hear details of a workplace complaint Ms Bonaros claimed to have lodged against him.

Ms Bonaros in January said the complaint had partly caused the delay in repaying Mr Darley.

A spokeswoman for Ms Bonaros said the debt and the workplace complaint against Mr Darley and his staffer Jenny Low were “two very different issues”.

But Mr Darley said he knew nothing about any complaint.

“I won’t send the receipts until I hear about this so-called complaint,” Mr Darley said.

“If she says there’s no dispute I’ll send the receipts and she can pay me the money, no problem.”

Ms Bonaros previously said the $10,000 personal loan was an offer made by Mr Darley in “very difficult personal circumstances”.

“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,” Ms Bonaros said in January.