Regional Development Australia

If you want specific information about RDA then trawl through their website like I had to, it's up to you whether it is spin or inspired leadership; obviously I have my concerns.

In my humble opinion, RDA is exactly like the Hospital (Health) Advisory Councils; they are another layer of un-necessary public service put there specifically as an insulator, to give the government total control from above and provide a barrier against accountability behind which ministers and departments can hide.

1) Whenever I see something that needs to describe itself as 'Regional something', 'Country something', or 'Independent something', etc, it is my experience that the nomenclature (title) inevitably addresses the fundamental flaw of the organisation/authority.

Putting the word 'country' in Country Labor addresses by contradicting in it's name, the reality that Labor is wholly focussed on Adelaide and the regions are commodities to be sold off to foreign timber companies, Wind Turbine developers, foreign governments, etc; the word in the title is there to deny the reality.

Even worse, it is a clear admission that the Labor party does not govern for all South Australia, and it would not surprise me if Country Labor are somehow a completely separate party that does not have any legal connection to the Labor Party.

Why have 2 names? Why 'the Labor Party' in Adelaide and 'Country Labor' elsewhere?

The Teachers Registration Board is described as an Independent Statutory Authority but all of its members are directly linked to the Education Department and/or Education Union; it is under the absolute and un-challengeable control of the state government.

2) When RDA was established there were many concerns expressed that there was a lack of accountability and transparency, and that this made it vulnerable to both genuine mis-management through lack of review, and, more concerningly, deliberate malfeasance, eg, fraud.

The Rann Labor government repeatedly used the appointment of former Liberal leader Rob Kerin to dismiss these concerns, based on the argument that he was from the other side, therefore it's not about 'jobs for mates', and Mr Kerin's alleged personal credibility and that of other members meant that malfeasance simply wouldn't happen.

RDA is responsible for many millions of dollars of grants and it is ludicously un-realistic to deny that, even if all of the original members are squeaky clean initially and are not tempted by the knowledge that they are effectively un-accountable, there are those less honest individuals who will deliberately target any organisation that has access to that sort of money with that virtual lack of accountability.

3) Appointments to RDA would seem to defy good business logic, and the processes involved are somewhat obscure; maybe it's all on their website somewhere. For example, Councillor Biddie Tietz is suddenly announced as "tourism person' for RDA but her career in Tourism would not seem to support elevation to such an important position.

I do not understand how Grant King, with such a long record of involvement in failed business ventures, eg, the Green Phone collapse, gets appointed (somehow) to the incredibly important positions of local head of the RDA and HAC at the same time.

I attended a HAC meeting in November 2009, and it was the most deliberately deceitful display of mis-information that I have ever attended;  a long disjointed power point of over 60 dot points, not in any order, most of which were skipped past. We were told outright that we could not discuss any personal grievances or experiences, but that it was our responsibility to contribute to improve the system.

Time and again when Grant King has been on ABC Local Radio in his official capacities, offered by the ABC and himself as an 'independent opinion', he has simply run the official government line because that was what he was employed to do.

In his 2012 farewell interview (ABC Radio) Mr King quipped that he was going to spend more time on his boat; which generated a rather vitriolic response.

It has been put to me in no un-certain terms that a number of people are furious with Grant King, making essentially the same allegation, namely, 'I payed for that bloody boat' by way of their money somehow ending up in Mr Grant's pocket and then his boat.

As per previous blogs, I will not expose those whom have provided me information, but the specific, repeated allegation is that Grant King was either solely responsible for (or at least a major player in) the de-frauding of Green Phone, which led to its' collapse.

I note that the collapse of Green Phone has never been investigated, despite continuing calls for an Inquiry by those who lost their investments, and many others in the community.

I call for an immediate Inquiry into the collapse of Green Phone.

Tomorrow: The first time I met...MP Don Pegler

The first in an exciting new series of insightful and amusingly abusive pieces about various politicians, etc, who have had the pleasure of my company.   

Exciting Announcement:
Given the axing of WIN TV News (all together now....YOU BASTARDS....there...doesn't that feel better?)
efforts are being made to put The Mt G Independent to air 6.30 pm SA time starting Monday March 4th...might call it 'Crazy as a Fox News'.   (god, I'm hilarious)

Probaly via Youtube...not sure...stay tuned.