A South Australian upper house Labor MP has fended off suggestions he is running in next month's state election just to get a redundancy payment, and has announced he will donate the money to charity.
Russell Wortley has sat in the Legislative Council since 2006, had a position on the frontbench for 18 months and was council president for four years.
After being elected in Labor's number one position on the ballot paper in 2014, Mr Wortley has now been pre-selected at number five, a position largely considered unwinnable.
If unsuccessful, he will be eligible for a redundancy payment, prompting Treasurer Rob Lucas to accuse him of trying to get a final payday.
"There's 12 weeks redundancy pay for someone who ostensibly stands for election and is unsuccessful, so 12 weeks is probably close to $50,000 — nice little bonus," Mr Lucas said.
Opposition Leader hopeful of gaining seat
Just hours after Mr Lucas made the remarks, Labor leader Peter Malinauskas hit back during a press conference.
"I have some news in this regard," he said.
"Russell's told me this morning that he's more than happy to donate that 12 weeks' severance pay or whatever it is to a local charity."
But Mr Malinauskas said Labor was aiming to win the seat — one of 11 up for grabs.
"He shares my ambition that we'll improve our vote in the Legislative Council and win that spot. It's on the cards," Mr Malinauskas said.
"We're a red-hot chance, and forming government is important, but what happens in the upper house is always important, particularly if you've got a big agenda which we do post-COVID."
Donation for swimming lessons
Mr Wortley said he was always planning to aim for fifth spot, and to donate any redundancy payment.
"I couldn't make any announcement until I was actually preselected. Now I was preselected yesterday at 11 o'clock," he said.
"Unfortunately to my surprise, Rob Lucas had brought this up as an issue today, so it was always my intention to donate win or lose.
He said he would give the funds to the Royal Life Saving Society, in the hope more new migrants could access swimming lessons.
"I've always had a concern about the defunding of the Royal Life Saving Society," he said.
"A lot of people from the multicultural community, especially on the subcontinent, come from states that are landlocked, and they come to this country, they go to our beaches, they run in the water — beautiful crystal-clear water — and they get into trouble."
Mr Wortley said the retiring Treasurer would be eligible for a generous pension, and called on Mr Lucas to match his donation.
Mr Wortley is not the first MP to donate income following suggestions their decisions were financially motivated.
Independent MP Dan Cregan donated his pay increase after he quit the Liberal Party and took over the Speaker's position.
On today's campaign trail, Labor continued its health commitments, announcing a new cancer centre and 48 sub-acute beds for the Modbury Hospital in the north-eastern suburbs.
The government has committed $25 million for a regional and nature-based tourism-grants program. It also said it would work with Adelaide City Council and the federal government to build a new Adelaide Aquatic Centre.
