Rann no show a slap at Weatherill

Posted on November 7, 2011

Mike Rann has delivered a stinging vote of no confidence in Premier Weatherill by choosing not to attend his first week of Parliament as a backbencher.

Mr Rann has requested a pair for the next three parliamentary sitting days citing “unforseen rearrangements of meetings” on his overseas trip as the reason for his absence.

Since 2002 Mr Rann has taken at least 30 overseas trips at taxpayers’ expense, costing approximately $1.5 million.

Opposition Leader Isobel Redmond said Mr Rann’s absence was a vote of no confidence in Premier Weatherill and an appalling waste of taxpayers’ money.

“If Mr Rann is on a taxpayer-funded trip it is a blatant misuse of taxpayers’ money given his impending retirement,” Ms Redmond said.

“Mr Rann must explain what benefit his overseas trip is to taxpayers given he will not be in the Parliament next year.

“Mr Rann has also sent a strong message to the Labor Party that Mr Weatherill does not have his support.

“It is evident that Mr Rann has no confidence in Mr Weatherill’s ability as Premier and is still fuming about being knifed by Labor’s faceless factions.

“Mr Rann has a duty to his constituency in Ramsay and to South Australian taxpayers to serve on the backbench until he retires.

“Mr Rann has shown complete disregard for his role as a local Member, a lack of trust in his leader and failure to change his wasteful ways of nearly a decade.”