A walk down memory lane, like I said last week there might not be enough time to mention every major waste of money the Beattie/Bligh government bestowed upon us. July 2012. ITS the dunny drama that could wipe away whatever is left of the former Bligh governments credibility. The Courier-Mail can reveal the ousted administration spent more than $1000 fixing the lid of a luxury loo installed in the office of former environment minister Vicky Darling. While toilet seats sell for as little as $6 at Bunnings, Ms Darlings department splashed out nearly 170 times that amount to mend the Cabinet members personal water closet. So exclusive is the lavish lavatory fitted in the ministers office that only one supplier of its hydraulic soft-close seat could be located in Queensland. The final bill of $1017 included three hours labour to fit the hi-tech seat, as well as the purchase of a spare just in case the replacement seat failed to pass the test. It remains a mystery how the seat in the George Street office was broken to begin with. However, reviews on the top-priced toilet from Swiss brand Laufen describe it as well proportioned and with all the features that you have come to expect with great design. Another says it reflects the dynamic synthesis of rational, poetic forms while the seat can be simply removed with a flick of a wrist. Internal department emails show even the public servants baulked at the bill, and wanted to put the skids on spending $1000 to fix the seat. Has the world gone mad? one senior public servant wrote. Are we really paying $1017 to replace a toilet seat? Is there some way of checking this? Another responded by insisting there was no other option. Apparently the toilet seat that is in the ministers office is quite unique as there is only one supplier in Brisbane that can supply it, the bureaucrat wrote. Somehow the seat was broken and they had to contact the supplier to get another seat and found there is only the one supplier and it took some time to replace. It is not the first time a politicians powder room has entered public debate. The Beattie government was accused of outrageous extravagance after it was revealed it spent $93 on a toilet roll holder and $255 on a waste bin during the $600,000 upgrade of a ministers office. A spokesman for Premier Campbell Newman said paying that amount to fix a toilet seat showed blatant disregard for taxpayers money. Were not surprised to learn Labor would splash out for a ministers private toilet - another example of the former Governments ridiculous spending, Mr. Newman said. couriermail.au/news/queensland/bligh-government-spent-1000-to-fix-toilet-seat-on-environment-minister-vicky-darlings-loo/story-e6freoof-1226419443516
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 06:59:27 +0000
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