SA-Best have defended a decision to “bypass” independent Troy Bell and allow a metropolitan MP to table a petition in State Parliament calling on a drug rehabilitation centre for Mount Gambier.
Independent and former Labor MP Frances Bedford tabled a petition signed by 3771 residents requesting the lower house urged the government to provide funding for rehabilitation facilities for addicts in the Mount Gambier electorate.
The signatures, collected by former SA-Best candidate Kate Amoroso, have been held by the party’s two upper house members since the March state election.
The petition was addressed to the House of Assembly, the house in which Mr Bell sits, meaning the two SA-Best Upper House MPs were unable to table it in their chamber.
It is understood the party approached Ms Bedford, whose suburban electorate covers Adelaide’s north-east, before agreeing to allow Mr Bell to table the petitions in the state’s House of Assembly.
Ms Bedford’s office said they did not know why the metropolitan MP was selected to table the Mount Gambier-based petition.
An image viewed by The Border Watch shows the first page of the petition with three blacked out boxes containing Mr Bell’s signature, indicating he would table the documents in the lower house.
However, it is understood SA-Best then decided to revert back to its original plan and have Ms Bedford table the petitions.
A text message signed off by SA-Best MLC Connie Bonaros, also viewed by The Border Watch, apologises to Mr Bell saying “the request I have is that Frances table it”, followed by “our group already has a strategy and media around this issue and I cannot deviate from that course”.
In a statement, Ms Bonaros said the decision was “made at the request of advocates who coordinated the petition”.
Ms Bonaros said it was “entirely appropriate” for the independent Member for Florey to table the petitions.
She praised Ms Amoroso’s advocacy in the drug and alcohol sphere and said she had been instrumental in gathering the signatures.
“This is not anything personal against Mr Bell,” she said.
“Mr Bell needs clarification regarding the reasons why advocates did not want him tabling the petition, I suggest he pick up the phone and speak with me directly.”
Mr Bell used his speech in Parliament to strike out at the party for playing politics on drug and alcohol rehabilitation, questioning why the crossbench party “bypassed” him in favour of Ms Bedford.
“In a house where that party does not even have a member in this chamber, they chose another Independent purely for political reasons,” he said.
“This is an issue that transcends politics.
“We must work together for solutions for our community.”
