Corruption in SA

[Northalives]

Tell me more about the bolded bit, am very interested.

Benson was the CEO of the SAJC when the Olsen government sold the South Australian TAB. Olsen paid 7 million dollars to the consultants of the sale plus a $543,000 "success fee" too them for selling off an asset that brought in $70 million to SA for practically nothing.

Benson's job at the SAJC was to drive through the acceptance of the sale. He was the fellow who first pushed the idea that refurbishments and new grandstands and "bells and whistles" were the only way for racing to move forward and he, along with Ingerson, Rob Gerrard, Armitage and all the old boys network told everyone but every one, that the sale of the TAB was the godsend for racing and would secure our future. It turned out to be nothing of the sort and crippled our racing identity and industry.

Benson pushed this "rationalising" agenda for all it was worth and during his time as CEO, he said that racing should become, "just horse lotto" and had, if memory serves correct, "six priorities" for racing and all were to do with some form of building but he would not entertain any thought of fixing up the track itself at Morphetville or anywhere else for that matter.

When he finished doing his job for the old boys club, they moved in Ploubidis whose claim to fame was as a catering manager and lackey to the notorious crook Mike Gore, of the "White Shoe Brigade" and he, Ploubidis continued on with the "rationalisation" agenda and gave the infamous speech to members in 2001 that, the club(SAJC), would make more money if it held "phantom" meetings, that is, no horses, jockeys, trainers but just punters who would still bet on interstate races and a fat balance sheet was assured from profits on food and beverages!

Ploubidisi's job was to push through bulldozing of Cheltenham because, "it will secure racing's future". That's what selling the TAB was about and now, a few short years after the destruction of Cheltenham, racing's completely ****ed!

This moron knew absolutely nothing about racing. For ****'s sake, I attended a race meeting at Morphetville on a Saturday and one floor of the stand was given over to a mob selling discount clothing!

The point is that when Benson talks, he, like all glove puppets, has someones hand right up him. He is the one sent in first to lay the foundations for the puppeteer's agenda.

Funny how we have Benson talking about "rationalisation" again! Funny how Olsen is now head of the SANFL. I wonder if the SANFL want to take complete and utter control of all SANFL clubs - maybe get rid of a few along the way? Maybe amalgamate some? No matter what, this is all about the establishment controlling and to see what happens when some one defies them, look at what happened when Port wanted to secure their future.

People would do well to always remember that Alexander Downer, Ian Smith and his wife Natasha Stott Despoja along with Nick Bolkus and others, belong to the same "stable" and have big time connections.

 

[Portia]

I had to double check that REH didn't write that. Nice one Northa.

 

[Eddie Dingle]

Awesome post.

They have destroyed South Australian Racing and they will do the same to football if allowed to do so. I go to the races a lot and watch racing every week and the sad but very real fact for the SAJC is that racing on a Saturday at Morphettville is held in so little regard that Kembla Grange, Newcastle and even Wyong hold more credence with punters in the eastern states and more prize money for owners and trainers.

They have killed the industry in South Australia and Colin Hayes would be turning in his grave.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Those bloody country leagues thieving from SA again! Nasssssty little trackses after our preciouses.

 

[Steve Dore]

Benson was the CEO of the SAJC when the Olsen government sold the South Australian TAB. Olsen paid 7 million dollars to the consultants of the sale plus a $543,000 "success fee" too them for selling off an asset that brought in $70 million to SA for practically nothing........

I can't recall the exact sale price but from memory it was less than half of what many analysts predicted at the time.

Olsen was later forced to resign as Premier and quit politics after been caught out in further dodgy dealings with Motorola. But it all turned at well as, after a cushy stint as Australian Consul-General to LA courtesy of Johny Howard's jobs for the boys program, he is now SNAFL President and SA Football Commission Chairman.

Just further reasons why I don't give a toss about the SNAFL.

 

[5um0F1]

I can't recall the exact sale price but from memory it was less than half of what many analysts predicted at the time.

Olsen was later forced to resign as Premier and quit politics after been caught out in further dodgy dealings with Motorola. But it all turned at well as, after a cushy stint as Australian Consul-General to LA courtesy of Johny Howard's jobs for the boys program, he is now SNAFL President and SA Football Commission Chairman.

Just further reasons why I don't give a toss about the SNAFL.

I know most politicians are corrupt and ALL of them look after their own self interests but is SA worse than elsewhere in the world?
It certainly seems it from where I am sitting ..

 

[Eddie Dingle]

I know most politicians are corrupt and ALL of them look after their own self interests but is SA worse than elsewhere in the world?
It certainly seems it from where I am sitting ..

Your blokes need a lesson in corruption from the former Labor Government of NSW.

Niow they got it right.

 

[70sDinosaur]

I know most politicians are corrupt and ALL of them look after their own self interests but is SA worse than elsewhere in the world?
It certainly seems it from where I am sitting ..

Corruption-wise, I don't think Australian politicians are too bad by world standards.

I think the problem in SA comes from the "bubble" environment and the mentality that it fosters, as Ford and others have alluded to in the past.

 

[Steve Dore]

I know most politicians are corrupt and ALL of them look after their own self interests but is SA worse than elsewhere in the world?
It certainly seems it from where I am sitting ..

I doubt SA politicians are any worse. The difference appears to be that in other places being exposed as a corrupt politician usually ends their career whereas here it enhances their career.

 

[Eric Blair]

Benson was the CEO of the SAJC when the Olsen government sold the South Australian TAB. Olsen paid 7 million dollars to the consultants of the sale plus a $543,000 "success fee" too them for selling off an asset that brought in $70 million to SA for practically nothing.

People would do well to always remember that Alexander Downer, Ian Smith and his wife Natasha Stott Despoja along with Nick Bolkus and others, belong to the same "stable" and have big time connections.[/quote]


absolutely brilliant post, and I wish more attention was paid to your last paragraph, namely that it doesnt matter whether Labor or Liberal win, we will still lose

 

[Eric Blair]

I know most politicians are corrupt and ALL of them look after their own self interests but is SA worse than elsewhere in the world?
It certainly seems it from where I am sitting ..

The difference between us and the rest of the world is that we are better at hiding the corruption, aided and abetted by a compliant media. Also looking at politicians is not enough, you need to find out who puts the pollies in power, and who funds them

 

[Rexie J]

While that may or may not be completely true, every state without exception has a conglomerate of power brokers from a wide range of backgrounds - big business - unions - legal fraternity and that includes the conservation industry which has infiltrated the public service and has a significant input into policy direction.

Fortunately the days of being a member of a certain "Lodge" dictated if you were promoted or succeeded in business are long gone.

A thread on who did what, jobs for the boys/girls etc would result in a system meltdown as opinions often depends on your political leaning.

I have a reasonable insight into how the political scene works in SA (family) and as they said, 'It's not the opposition party you need to worry about - it's your own party members" (and no, not the Libs)

It's a complex topic and with the formation of the new anti corruption unit, it will be the opportunity for people who believe there is corruption to come forward with the corroborated evidence.

 

[Natman]

I know most politicians are corrupt and ALL of them look after their own self interests but is SA worse than elsewhere in the world?
It certainly seems it from where I am sitting ..

Corruption in SA is at the pissant level - you need to travel a lot and read to see that corruption in other states and countries is on a much larger and deeper scale and is more covert.

 

[Northalives]

While that may or may not be completely true, every state without exception has a conglomerate of power brokers from a wide range of backgrounds - big business - unions - legal fraternity and that includes the conservation industry which has infiltrated the public service and has a significant input into policy direction.

Fortunately the days of being a member of a certain "Lodge" dictated if you were promoted or succeeded in business are long gone.

A thread on who did what, jobs for the boys/girls etc would result in a system meltdown as opinions often depends on your political leaning.

I have a reasonable insight into how the political scene works in SA (family) and as they said, 'It's not the opposition party you need to worry about - it's your own party members" (and no, not the Libs)

It's a complex topic and with the formation of the new anti corruption unit, it will be the opportunity for people who believe there is corruption to come forward with the corroborated evidence.

I hope you are right about the new anti corruption unit doing it's job: it's the Office of Public Integrity who are going to "triage" the complaints that slightly worries me.

As for your assertion that the days of being promoted or succeeding in business by being a member of a certain "Lodge" are long gone, well, all I can say to you is that South Australia has gone through the "rationalisation" process and SA is now one big "Lodge" - really helps if you're going for a job but!

 

[Rexie J]

I hope you are right about the new anti corruption unit doing it's job: it's the Office of Public Integrity who are going to "triage" the complaints that slightly worries me.

As for your assertion that the days of being promoted or succeeding in business by being a member of a certain "Lodge" are long gone, well, all I can say to you is that South Australia has gone through the "rationalisation" process and SA is now one big "Lodge" - really helps if you're going for a job but!

You will soon have your opportunity, in person, to put your assertions/accusations before the appropriate authority, otherwise your views are little more than midnight pub talk on a Friday night.

 

[Power Raid]

Corruption-wise, I don't think Australian politicians are too bad by world standards.

I think the problem in SA comes from the "bubble" environment and the mentality that it fosters, as Ford and others have alluded to in the past.

The bubble!

WA should be more of a bubble than SA due to its isolation but it is the opposite. WA's isolation means people to look globally for business, have the confidence to take on any venture and access to global the resources to do it.

Our politics is controlled by the major parties, which means minority parties can't have undue influence and negotiate dirty deals like the greens. Further, our high employment rates means unions can't carve out dirty deals (with the exception of government unions like the nurses union).

Our history of corruption has been notorious, with the jailing of our former premier Brian Burke but that was the 70s and 80s where corruption was a prerequisite on any politician's CV.

 

[Northalives]

You will soon have your opportunity, in person, to put your assertions/accusations before the appropriate authority, otherwise your views are little more than midnight pub talk on a Friday night.

Definitely and I think some people will be quite shocked at what goes on in this state. My submission will be just one of many, many similar ones that will be submitted by people far more significant than I.

PS. I am always very careful in what I say about others of note and not so noteworthy on these boards because I understand and fully appreciate the enormous damage that hearsay and scuttlebutt can cause on otherwise innocent people.

 

[Eric Blair]

Definitely and I think some people will be quite shocked at what goes on in this state. My submission will be just one of many, many similar ones that will be submitted by people far more significant than I.

PS. I am always very careful in what I say about others of note and not so noteworthy on these boards because I understand and fully appreciate the enormous damage that hearsay and scuttlebutt can cause on otherwise innocent people.

Wish i could agree, but given that our ICAC will be the most secretive in all of Australia, I just cannot see that happening. The most one can hope for wrt the ICAC is that if the libs win in 2014 and amend the ICAC to make it public so they can capitalise on exposing the dark side of the ALP's 12 years in power.

PM me if you want to discuss this further, as Im loathe to mention names as well. This stuff fascinates and saddens me at the same time

 

[Pakeha]

Still waiting for Olsen to have a swim in the Pat, as he promised ...

And off topic, for KG to do the haka in Rundle Mall (from his 1986 promise).

Bloody lying politicians / celebrities.

 

[Relativity]

Northalives
Do you know if there is any sunset clause on the tab sale? ie is there a time approaching when the state government can issue out new betting licences in competition to the tab?

 

[Ebert80]

Still waiting for Olsen to have a swim in the Pat, as he promised ...

That was Dean Brown I think.

 

[Northalives]

Northalives
Do you know if there is any sunset clause on the tab sale? ie is there a time approaching when the state government can issue out new betting licences in competition to the tab?

I am 99.9% sure that there is no sunset clause although, I'll have to look into it and let you know.

Relying just on my memory, I believe the sale price of the whole TAB was in the order of $40 million and remember, it was bringing in $70 million per annum to South Australia. Also relying just on my memory, I seem to remember that the deal with the Queensland "boys", which saved their racing and crippled ours, was that they had the exclusive rights to operate the TAB in this state for 60 years?

If that's what you meant by a sunset clause, it's more like an end of civilisation clause.

I'll look into it and let you know.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

So when does SA get a proper ICAC??

Corruption in SA isn't as blatant and as big $$$ value as NSW or Qld based on what I have seen/experienced but it is there and it's more subtle than NSW and Qld. The old convict vs free settlor mentality, one's blatant another is subtle.

WA stuff in the 1980's was very WA just big brazzen blatant deals. The Vics seem to mix it up between blatant and subtle.

Donny Dunstan sacking police commissioner Harold Salisbury probably helped put the wind up the cops in the late 1970's whereas Terry Lewis and co. in Qld and Merv Wood and Tony Laurer in NSW just carried on with dodgy shit.

 

[Pakeha]

That was Dean Brown I think.

Yes you're right. Dean Brown and his offsider David Wotton were the ones to promise a swim. They didn't do it, but Olsen actually did, some six years later. My apologies to Olsen.

 

[Relativity]

I am 99.9% sure that there is no sunset clause although, I'll have to look into it and let you know.

Relying just on my memory, I believe the sale price of the whole TAB was in the order of $40 million and remember, it was bringing in $70 million per annum to South Australia. Also relying just on my memory, I seem to remember that the deal with the Queensland "boys", which saved their racing and crippled ours, was that they had the exclusive rights to operate the TAB in this state for 60 years?

If that's what you meant by a sunset clause, it's more like an end of civilisation clause.

I'll look into it and let you know.

Cheers. That is what I meant. If it is the 60 years then the deal was truely more diabolical than I already percieved it to be. We are currently seeing the forced closures of TAB outlets in regional areas, funnelling punters to fewer venues. It is another knife to the back of smaller hotels. The Basheers would be happy. Olsen should have been lynched.