DROUGHT-AID CHARGES MOOTED
31.03.1989
By: MORLEY P
Drought-aid charges mooted By political reporter PETER MORLEY THE Solicitor-General's Office is investigating primary producers to see whether they should be prosecuted for alleged abuses of drought-aid programs.
The Public Accounts Committee will make its own public investigation of the State-federal programs.
The investigation guidelines will be those suggested by the State Primary Industries Minister, Mr Harper, who was criticised in the committee's preliminary investigation for his handling of allegations that some farmers abused drought aid.
Mr Harper wrote to the committee chairman, the National Party MLA for Maryborough, Mr Alison, saying action such as the referral of seven case studies to the Solicitor-General would be adequate.
Under Mr Harper's terms of reference, the review to investigate claims of widespread abuse raised initially by Mr J.J. (Dan) Daly, of Mr Harper's drought secretariat, should look at: Procedures for the declaration of drought areas and properties.
The adequacy of payment procedures and guidelines.
Other matters which the committee considers relevant. Mr Harper has been under attack from Labor politicians including Mr Brian Courtice, the federal MHR who first revealed Mr Daly's memo alleging the abuses.
Mr Courtice called on the Premier, Mr Ahern, to sack Mr Harper for his ""refusal to act on his own portfolio and uncover the allegations made by his own department''.
The State Opposition Leader, Mr Goss, said Mr Harper should be stood aside pending the outcome of the inquiry.
""By his (Mr Harper's) own admission he says he has known about irregularities with these payments for two years or more,'' Mr Goss said.
""He has also known for months about an official memorandum from the head of the drought secretariat of his department. His failure to act on this information is evidence of gross and persistent neglect.''
The calls were rejected last night by Mr Ahern who said the Public Accounts Committee should be allowed to do its job.
Mr Harper said he had taken prompt action to investigate Mr Daly's claims.
""Some delay in finalising that procedure has been caused by the absence on leave of the officer who made the claims,'' he said.
Mr Harper said he had discussed aid programs with the Federal Primary Industry Minister, Mr Kerin.
""That discussion ended in Mr Kerin indicating that he was quite satisfied with the way Queensland was handling drought-relief assistance,'' Mr Harper said.
In Melbourne last night, Mr Kerin said: ""I would not say I was satisfied. I expressed no opinion. I did not really engage him. I just listened. ""I have reservations about Queensland _ the National Party there looks after its mates.''
