In this year’s State Budget the Government increased each MP’s office allowance by 50 per cent. They also continued to allow MPs to transfer any unspent allowances to other MPs. This allows MPs holding safe Labor or Liberal seats to ‘donate’ their unspent allowances to offices held by MPs in marginal seats. So I made an FOI request for documents showing which MPs have transferred unspent allowances to other electorates over the last three years. Treasury has admitting they will not be able to meet my request within the legal time limit for FOI requests. They have decided to ask the State’s 69 MPs if any of them object to the release of this politically-charged information. 

A community forum on Global Warming presented by Kate Buckley. Kate is a Climate Change presenter trained by Al Gore to spread the message of the full impact of Global Warming. The forum will be held at my electorate office, 867 Marion Road, Mitchell Park. Bookings essential (8177 0077). 

My legislation to change the SA Constitution to limit the number of Ministers to 13 was given a second reading in Parliament. At the moment we have 15 Ministers in the Rann Labor Government. The SA Constitution was changed by the Olsen Liberal Government in 1997 to allow 10 Cabinet Ministers and five Junior Ministers. The Rann Government used this to appoint 15 Ministers. I argued that reducing ministerial appointments would save money without reducing its efficiency. The talent pool is limited and, with more ministerial positions, it’s inevitable that MPs with less talent win a promotion. We also see portfolios being split, such as Mental Health from Health, and Road Safety from Transport, to accommodate the increased number of ministers.

I have written to all State Government Ministers urging them to introduce legislation that would set MP salaries at twice South Australia’s average weekly earnings. 

Only Ministers can authorise payment of money out of the Treasury. So I’ve written to all of them urging each one to introduce my legislation.” 

I decided MPs’ salaries should be linked to the State’s average weekly earnings after the controversy last month when MPs received a 6.7 per cent pay rise. 

Linking our salaries to average weekly earnings seems fair. MP salaries would only rise in good economic times, yet we would share the pain when times aren’t so good. 

I’m proposing that an MP’s salary be twice that of average earnings. This would be based on ABS data released at the end of each year, and reviewed annually. 

Based on ABS statistics, our salaries would have increased three per cent* this year, not 6.7 per cent. 

I’ve already had the legislation drafted. All I need now is a Minister willing to take up the challenge and introduce it to Parliament.

In Parliament yesterday I asked the Premier why he continues to refuse to meet or assist Tristar workers and their representatives. 

While the long running Tristar dispute involves a factory in Sydney, Adelaide is key to resolving the dispute. For a start, the Tristar owners and directors live in Adelaide. 

Union officials from the AMWU have come to Adelaide on at least two occasions to ask the Premier and Minister Wright to help in negotiating a solution.

They have been snubbed by the Premier and the Minister. 

In February the Premier re-appointed Andrew Gwinnett, a director of Tristar and principal owner of Arrowcrest, to the Board of the Art Gallery of South Australia. A number of lucrative SA government contracts are held by Mr Gwinnett’s group of companies and by individual directors within the group. 

Over the last eight years Arrowcrest has been a regular donor to the SA branch of the ALP. 

Hear both sides of the debate. How and why did Australia get into this war? When can we expect to get out of Iraq? At Marion RSL, Norfolf Rd. Marion. Bookings essential (8177 0077 or mitchell@kh.org.au 

An illustrated presentation of Kris’s trip to Palestine and Israel in January this year. At the Nexus Arts Centre, Old Lion’s Art Centre, North Terrace, Adelaide

A community forum on your rights in the workplace. Hear local Kingston MP Kym Richardson explain John Howard’s WorkChoices legislation. Labor candidate Amanda Rishworth will talk about the Opposition’s IR policy, and Greens senate candidate Sarah Hanson-Young on alternative industrial relations reforms. At the Reynella Community Centre, cnr. Old South and Reynell Roads, Old Reynella. For more details call the Mitchell Electorate Office on 8177 0077 or email mitchell@kh.org.au