Third complaint about Water Minister’s Ian Hunter behaviour

EXCLUSIVE: South Australia’s Law Society wrote to the Premier to complain about the “intemperate” and “dismissive” behaviour of his besieged minister Ian Hunter, The Advertiser can reveal — the third such strike.

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SOUTH Australia’s Law Society wrote to Premier Jay Weatherill to complain about the “intemperate” and “dismissive” behaviour of his besieged minister Ian Hunter, The Advertiser can reveal.

The “third strike” involving Mr Hunter’s behaviour comes as calls for his sacking intensify, in the wake of last week’s expletive-laden spray at Acting Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and others in an Adelaide restaurant.

The Sustainability, Environment and Conservation Minister also stormed out of a separate meeting with Business SA, and The Advertiser has now learnt of the third complaint about his conduct.

Law Society SA President David Caruso said he wrote to Mr Weatherill in August over concerns about Mr Hunter’s rude conduct during a meeting where he and two senior legal colleagues were also present.

Water Minister Ian Hunter leaves a Cabinet meeting in Whyalla on Monday. Picture: Matt Loxton

“The Society did make a complaint to the Premier,” Mr Caruso said. “The chairs of the (animal law) committee and myself did not consider that the meeting was being conducted appropriately by the minister, or that he was conducting himself appropriately, to be productive.

“The primary issues were that the way in which the minister was conducting himself was intemperate and unnecessarily dismissive of issues the chairs ... and I were wanting to discuss.

“We had attended this meeting — which had been scheduled with a fairly long lead time — on the basis it would provide for a productive dialogue.

“We considered the minister’s approach did not facilitate a productive dialogue but was rather dismissive of the issues we sought to discuss.”

Mr Caruso said it was more the “tone of the meeting” than specific language used by Mr Hunter that led to the complaint.

But he stopped short of joining calls for Mr Hunter to be sacked.

Opposition Leader Steven Marshall said the revelations were Mr Hunter’s “third strike”, and he vowed to sack any Liberal frontbencher found to have acted with such little professionalism.

“His foul-mouthed abuse last week is part of a pattern of behaviour,” Mr Marshall said.

“Industry representatives have had enough of Ian Hunter. Jay Weatherill is letting SA down by rewarding a man who can’t get his job done because he abuses and tries to intimidate people.

“If one of my team abused and intimidated people like Ian Hunter, I would sack them.”

The Law Society later received a letter from Mr Weatherill noting the complaint and separate correspondence from Mr Hunter which addressed only some of its conduct and policy concerns.

“The letter we received from the minister did seek to address the range of issues that were supposed to be discussed at the meeting, however, we remain concerned by some of the responses with respect to the conduct of the meeting as well as the issues,” Mr Caruso said.

Mr Weatherill said: “The (Law Society) matter was considered at the time and I concluded it was in substance a robust policy disagreement and did not warrant further action”.

The Premier’s office said it could not recall any other complaints about Mr Hunter’s conduct.