Xenophon ups pressure for SA corruption probe when workcover has a 1.3 billion dollar blowout

Article from:The Advertiser.
MILES KEMP
June 10, 2009

SENATOR Nick Xenophon wants South Australia to establish an independent
commission to investigate corruption as well as poor government use of
Federal Government funds.

He has threatened to use his influence with the Federal Government – as
one who holds the balance of power in the Senate – to create greater
transparency in South Australia for the spending of federal funds.

Senator Xenophon will tell the Press Club in Adelaide today that corruption
exists in the state, but remains hidden because of the lack of a broad-based,
independent authority.

"The Commonwealth provides funding for state projects – we must have a
level of transparency that this state does not have," he said.

"You cannot have a level of transparency in the absence of a corruption
and maladministration commission."

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The Federal Government has this year committed hundreds of millions of
dollars to help the State Government deliver infrastructure projects such
as the desalination plant at Port Stanvac.

Senator Xenophon cited the blowout in the WorkCover liability to $1.3 billion
as an example of the need for greater transparency. He also referred to
promised reforms by the Labor Opposition in 2001, in which politicians were
to be banned from taxpayer-funded advertisements.

Attorney-General Michael Atkinson again rejected the need for an
independent commission, criticising Mr Xenophon.

"Mr Xenophon has the advantage of parliamentary privilege and has
always been free to air all his allegations with impunity, whether they turn
out to be true or not," Mr Atkinson said.

"(His) proposal is mere object pondering to the media, who would relish the
freedom to publish false allegations and then not publish, months down the
track, the fact that allegations were untrue, as more than 98 per cent of
allegations to ICACs prove to be."

Senator Xenophon said he had examples of suspected corruption, which
could not be detailed for fear of legal action.

While other states have independent anti-corruption bodies, South Australia
has an anti-corruption branch within SA Police and the Police Complaints
Authority, using seconded police officers for investigations.

"In every state where there is an independent corruption commission,
corruption is unearthed – so it stands to reason that it is undetected
here," he said.

WCV's: 1.3 billion dollar blowout, come on, how do they get away with this?
If the pollies know that corruption exists in workcover and obviously many
other government run establishments, why are they pussy footing around
the issue by preventing an investigation?

If they have nothing to fear, then whats the problem?

Go Nick! kick their dishonest arses for all those injured workers who
are being robbed of their rights by this pathetic system.