SA report recommends Chapman suspension
A South Australian inquiry has recommended Deputy Premier Vickie Chapman be found guilty of contempt of parliament for misleading statements over her refusal of a Kangaroo Island development application.
Labor MP Andrea Michaels tabled the parliamentary committee's final report into Ms Chapman's rejection in August of the $40 million timber port, describing her denials of conflicts of interest as "Trumpesque at best".
"Blatant denialism of objective evidence and plain truth does the attorney-general no favour," Ms Michaels told the SA parliament on Thursday.
The parliamentary committee found Ms Chapman, who is planning minister and attorney-general, should be suspended from parliament for nine days and make a public apology.
Ms Chapman and her family have long held property on Kangaroo Island, but she told the committee she had no personal interest in any business or industry.
The report highlighted Ms Chapman's denial of a pecuniary interest when rejecting the timber port, given it would have led to increased truck movements near a property she owned that was being used periodically as an Airbnb.
The committee also found Ms Chapman had misled parliament by falsely claiming "there is no proposed route past (Kangaroo Island Mayor Michael Pengilly's) house for loads of trucks", when in fact the route passed next to the property of the mayor, who is a close personal friend of the attorney-general.
Representing Ms Chapman, Frances Nelson QC, had argued the idea that "trucks passing proximate to a property owned by her is somehow influencing her decision is again simply ludicrous".
Ms Michaels said Ms Nelson's submission sought "to promote the attorney-general's private agenda at best".
Ms Chapman's rejection of the port came despite her department ruling the project could go ahead after an assessment found any environmental concerns could be managed.
The committee was made up of two Labor MPs including Ms Michaels, two Liberal MPs, and one independent, in Sam Duluk. The Liberals dissented.
The committee also recommended legislative reforms be considered to address the fact a single decision maker was responsible for deciding the fate of a major development.
In a dissenting statement, the committee's Liberal MPs Peter Treloar and Matt Cowdrey rejected the findings of the report, arguing the department's overturned recommendation was "finely balanced" and the attorney-general complied with the Ministerial Code of Conduct at all times.
The Labor opposition is set to push for a no-confidence motion in Ms Chapman on Thursday afternoon, the success of which will depend on the support of crossbench MPs.
If successful, it would be the first time in South Australian history a no-confidence motion has been passed in the lower house against a minister.
Premier Steven Marshall had described the inquiry as a "kangaroo court" and previously said Ms Chapman enjoyed his full backing.
The parliamentary committee rejected allegations of procedural unfairness, saying it was conducted in a fair and impartial manner.
