[Greens-Media] PARNELL: Foley’s parting gift to SA: a $6 million legal bill

[Parnell]

Media Release
Thursday 20th October 2011

Foley’s parting gift to SA: a $6 million legal bill

The Upper House of State Parliament has passed a Greens motion calling on Minister Kevin Foley and ex-Minister Michael Wright to apologise for their conduct in a court case that is likely to cost the State of South Australia over $6 million.

In his explosive ruling on the case - which involved the awarding of compensation to 10 protesters for their treatment and detention by Star Force officers whilst protesting at the Beverley Uranium mine in 2000 – the trial judge singled out the Ministers for criticism.

The final costs in the case have recently been awarded and the total payout to the protesters is now $3,289,560 consisting of $2.4 million for the plaintiffs’ legal costs, $50,000 for the abandonment of mediation, $724,560 in damages following the trial judge's ruling, and $115,000 for those who settled before trial.  This is on top of the Crown’s own legal costs which are expected to be over $3 million.

“Minister Foley’s big mouth has cost SA taxpayer’s a small fortune,” said Greens Parliamentary leader Mark Parnell.

“His bloody mindedness and poor judgement has directly led to this enormously expensive legal bill.

“The judge in the case singled him and his then Police Minister colleague Michael Wright out for criticism.  These ministers knew that the Police Complaints Authority had found against the police, yet they continued to attack and denigrate the plaintiffs and refused to allow any negotiation over a settlement. To make matters worse the judge specifically increased the award of damages to take into account the fact that the ministers had literally added insult to injury by denigrating the protesters.

“The depressing thing is that the protesters had offered to settle the case for less than the Court ended up awarding them, but Minister Foley refused to negotiate.

“On his last day as a Minister he should do the right thing and apologise to the people of South Australia for this enormous legal bill,” he said.


For further comment contact Craig Wilkins on 0434 007 893


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