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The former Labor minister at the centre of the Oakden nursing home scandal, Leesa Vlahos, has quit SA's election race just days before the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption is due to deliver a report into maladministration at the government-run facility.
Ms Vlahos today wrote to Premier Jay Weatherill to withdraw from the prized number one position on Labor's Legislative Council ticket ahead of the March 17 election.
Ms Vlahos is currently the Member for Taylor in the Lower House, and was mental health minister when SA's chief psychiatrist Dr Aaron Groves released a damning report into the Oakden facility in Adelaide's north-east.
The report found evidence that elderly residents with dementia had been overmedicated, mistreated and inappropriately restrained.
The Labor Party today issued a statement from Ms Vlahos, just minutes after the ABC asked the former minister to confirm her position on Labor's ticket.
Ms Vlahos offered no comment, but in her statement said she did not expect to be the subject of adverse findings in Commissioner Bruce Lander's maladministration report, which is due to be publicly released by the end of the month.
"While I expect no adverse finding, I am concerned that the timing of the release of this report could mean that my candidature could become a distraction at this most important time," she said.
"As I was the minister at the time and now a candidate at the head of our Legislative Council ticket, I see I will become the target for a lazy Opposition looking to sneak into power under the Xenophon swing.
"I believe Labor — and South Australia — cannot afford the distraction. The future of this state is too important.
"I have decided, therefore, to step aside from public office at this time."
In a separate statement, Mr Weatherill confirmed Ms Vlahos's withdrawal.
"Today I was advised Leesa Vlahos has decided she will not contest the next state election," he said.
"This must have been a difficult decision for Ms Vlahos to have made, but I believe it is the right one.
"I thank her for her service.
"What happened at Oakden must not be repeated."
The Oakden aged care was closed last year and patients moved to another facility after the release of Dr Groves' report.
In a rare public statement earlier this month, Commissioner Lander said the report would name at least three people linked to the facility after dismissing legal arguments to supress their identities.
"I have decided that it is in the public interest that my final report is published and I intend to do so," Mr Lander said at the time.
The Oakden scandal has been the subject of numerous inquiries and investigations, some of them ongoing.
Apart from Dr Groves' review and Mr Lander's maladministration probe — the findings of which will be published on or before February 28 — a coronial inquiry into the 2008 death of a resident is underway and several others are expected.
Incidents at the home have also been referred to police.
Earlier this week, a senate inquiry into Oakden criticised the time it took state and federal authorities to respond, claiming elder abuse and neglect were allowed to continue even after residents' concerns were raised with health authorities.
"Many subsequent instances of abuse and neglect occurred as a direct result of those with the oversight responsibility not acting earlier," the inquiry's interim report stated.
The State Government has accepted all six recommendations from Dr Groves' review, and welcomed the decision of Mr Lander to publicly release his report.
Topics: states-and-territories, elections, alp, government-and-politics, mental-health, corruption, adelaide-5000, sa
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