Mishandling of SA’s comedy of errors results in a full-blown rorts investigation

You know how a small tickle in the throat can rapidly turn into a full-blown, respirator-assisted hospital stay in these medically challenging times? The same thing happens in politics, even in largely COVID-free South Australia.

This outbreak of scandal began in June with the publication of an investigation by the ABC’s Patrick Martin and Nick Harmsen into the living arrangements of state parliamentarian Terry Stephens.

They published evidence that Stephens, the president of the Legislative Council, had not paid land tax on his property in Adelaide’s upscale suburb of Norwood, which is perfectly legal if it’s one’s primary residence.