Tourism Minister David Ridgway forgets to declare $1.1m family home in pecuniary interests register
A STATE Government minister has forgotten to declare the family home he’s owned since 2001 in his register of members’ interests — and the inadvertent omission could be costly.
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TOURISM Minister David Ridgway has not declared the family home he’s owned since 2001 in his register of MPs’ interests, leaving him facing a fine of up to $5000.
In his declaration, where Mr Ridgway wrongly spells his middle name as Whickham rather than Wickham, his family home at Mitcham is not listed.
In response to questions from The Advertiser, his office said the home had “fallen off” the register in 2013, and not been listed since.
According to state legislation, an MP who “wilfully contravenes or fails to comply with” the Act faces a penalty of up to $5000.
It’s also a breach of the ministerial code of conduct not to notify the Cabinet Office of any private interests. It’s unclear if the records Mr Ridgway provided to the Cabinet Office also omitted his family home.
Realestate.com.au estimates say Mr Ridgway’s four-bedroom home is valued between $1.1 million and $1.375 million.
SA’s property information portal says Mr Ridgway has owned the house with his wife Meredith since 2001.
A spokesman for Mr Ridgway said the home had been “accidentally omitted” from his register of interests since 2013.
“Minister Ridgway has written to the Clerk of the Legislative Council asking for his registry of interests to be updated,” the spokesman said.
Mr Ridgway was one of three state MPs to not list an interest in property.
Greens MLC Tammy Franks and Labor’s Lee Odenwalder both said their registers were correct and they rented property.
MPs are required to lodge a list of all their pecuniary interests – including properties, share portfolios, gifts and family trusts – each June.
Flinders University governance and public policy expert Professor Adam Graycar – former head of the government’s cabinet office – said there should be penalties if rules weren’t complied with.
“Judges make decisions all the time about whether what people have done is deliberate or have made a mistake – and his peers have got to judge that in this case,” Prof Graycar said.
“But if we look at the other side, and we think what’s the harm – is he benefiting himself by it not being listed, the answer is probably no – and in that case his peers have to make a decision about what happens when you’ve disregarded a rule for several years in a row.”
Opposition accountability spokesman Tom Koutsantonis said Labor would “vigorously pursue” any occasion where legislation had not been complied with.