SA ministerial advisor investigated over ‘large sums’ in account
A report tabled by the South Australia’s outgoing anti-corruption commissioner has revealed a ministerial advisor was investigated over large sums of money that appeared to be received in a bank account. An investigation found there was no illegality detected, but the report highlighted a "governance black hole" for ministerial advisors in the state.
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00:00A report tabled in Parliament yesterday revealed that a South Australian ministerial advisor
00:06had been investigated for potential bribery, after large sums of money appeared to have
00:11been received in a bank account.
00:13South Australia's outgoing Independent Commissioner Against Corruption, Anne Vanstone, says an
00:18investigation found that while the media advisor's financial situation was tenuous, there was
00:23no illegality.
00:24Now this prompted a report which found that there was a governance black hole for ministerial
00:29advisors.
00:30Ms Vanstone wrote that good governance requires rules, expectations and lines of accountability
00:35to be clearly set out, understood and observed.
00:38It could not be said that this is the case for ministerial staff in the South Australian
00:42government today.
00:43She wrote that there appeared to be considerable divergences between the expectations of public
00:48sector agencies versus ministerial advisors.
00:52And she says that appointments to ministerial advisor roles were more likely to be based
00:55on political allegiances versus merit.
00:58The report also made six recommendations which included a review of recruitment processes
01:03and also compulsory training for advisors.
01:06South Australia's Premier, Peter Malinowska, says that those recommendations have been
01:10passed on to the South Australian Public Sector Employment Commissioner.
01:14Now this was one of five reports that was tabled yesterday by the South Australian Independent
01:18Commissioner, Anne Vanstone.
01:20She announced earlier this year that she would be stepping away from the role, saying that
01:24she'd just run out of steam, especially after the state had watered down its integrity laws
01:28around three years ago.