South Australia Shadow Minister for Education David Pisoni

Carnegie Lemon Saga Continues

Victor P Taffa

The Rann Labor Government has spent another $4.46 Million of SA Taxpayers’ Money on the Premier’s pet project Carnegie Melon University to fund study scholarships for Public Servants, industry partners and international students.

Documents obtained under Freedom of Information reveal that since 2006 the Department of Premier & Cabinet has spent $4,461,704 on 98 scholarships for two courses at Carnegie Melon University- a Masters in Information Technology and a Masters in Public Policy Management.

Public servants had 75 % of their courses subsidised costing more than $49,000 each while industry and international partners were given scholarships between 75 and 40 %.

One Department of Families and Communities employee was given an 85 % scholarship costing South Australians a staggering $65,421.

Shadow Minister for Education David Pisoni said the Premier’s pet project was becoming a black hole for taxpayers’ money with the scholarship funds following in the wake of $250,000 of taxpayers’ money being spent on dead rent for Carnegie Mellon University’s second campus after it had already been closed for two years.

“The Premier originally committed $19.5 Million to bringing Carnegie Mellon to Adelaide but since then we have seen hidden expense after expense with hundreds of thousands of dollars being spent on travel expenses and millions extra thrown in to prop up his pet project.” Mr. Pisoni said.

“On Carnegie Melon’s website one student who received a 70 % scholarship to study in Adelaide says he will use his degree to “contribute to my country through the education sector. I am very interested in teaching IT at an Indonesian university.” Mr. Pisoni said.

“Millions of dollars has been spent subsidising the tertiary education of Public Servants and international students while young South Australians who want a second chance at getting a high school education were left out in the cold when Labor slashed over $20 Million from the adult re-entry Program.”

“The Premier needs to come clean with South Australian taxpayers’ instead of sneakily trying to conceal the real cost of his investment in Carnegie Mellon University.” Mr. Pisoni said.