Today, the extent of “historical” bullying in a key department, the circle of Health stuff-ups remains unbroken, Uber’s Adelaide connections, and more.

A woman’s place

New Adelaidean Michael Deegan has had a busy month since becoming chief executive of the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure.

One thing keeping him flat out has been reviewing a long list of bullying complaints within the department – more than 50 of them, according to an informant with an ear on one of Deegan’s get-to-know-you meetings with staff this week.

We checked in with a departmental spokesperson who confirmed the bullying issue had come up in an “audit of human resourcing” ordered by Deegan.

“This audit highlighted a number of historical bullying claims,” she said. “These were raised in forums to send a clear mandate to staff that bullying will not be tolerated in any capacity within DPTI, or indeed any workplace.”

There was another interesting aspect of Deegan’s forums – he called one this week involving only departmental women.

A few eyebrows were arched when a key theme of the women-only event became clear: the need for flexibility in the workforce and a plea to utilise the benefits of the generous 10am to 4pm “core hours” in our public service. Presumably because, you know, women have to care for children and such.

One wonders if he gave the men-only meeting the same message? Was there a men-only meeting?

Carry on regardless gents!

Inappropriate! Outrageous!

There was much outrage two weeks ago when Premier Jay Weatherill was heard endorsing the re-election prospects of Adelaide’s Lord Mayor Stephen Yarwood.

During a speech at the opening of the new Ibis Hotel the Premier said voters should “think” about Yarwood’s record.

“And so when you are thinking what to do, come that election, have a think about this Lord Mayor who made this, and places like it, happen,” he said.

“We have had some fantastic freeing up of the planning arrangements in the city so we can build things like this (hotel). And we want to build a hell of a lot more. And this mayor will allow us to do that.”

As endorsements go, it was pretty clear.

Cue the outrage: mayoral candidate Martin Haese had “grave concerns”.

Councillor Mark Hamilton, also a candidate for the top job, labelled Yarwood a “Labor Lord Mayor”.

Opposition Leader Steven Marshall said the Premier’s endorsement was “completely inappropriate”.

But it seems other politicians are starting to inject themselves into the campaign fray as the upcoming council elections draw closer.

On FIVEaa this morning federal Liberal MP and minister Jamie Briggs mentioned the good work of Mount Barker Mayor Ann Ferguson.

“And I hope she’s re-elected in a few months time”, Briggs said.

What does Steven Marshall think about that?

Around and around until we disappear up our own…

This upright online organ’s reporter, Bension Siebert, asked SA Health for the emergency department waiting times at Noarlunga Hospital.

Noarlunga is the one major hospital where the cursed electronic patient records system – EPAS – is operating in full swing.

Doctors tell us this $422 million taxpayer-funded system has design flaws a 1st year med student would baulk at.

When Siebert asked the question about waiting times, SA Health said they hadn’t published the Noarlunga data because they believed it was wrong. Unbelievable. Not credible.

So where did this dodgy data come from? Doctors tell us it was spat out by EPAS. SA Health is silent on the question.

May the circle of stuff-ups remain unbroken.

Uber’s Adelaide connections

Controversial taxi competitor Uber, which launched in Adelaide in the past week, has some very interesting local connections.

Apart from Humphrey B. Bear appearing in an Uber photoshoot and Guy Sebastian endorsing the service, the company’s Australian general manager, David Rohrsheim, is an Adelaide boy.

Uber is a global company which uses a Smartphone app to allow customers to book hire cars at the swipe of the screen.

It has come across legal challenges in most jurisdictions, and the State Government claims that it is in breach of local legislation and warns that drivers will be fined.

The taxi industry hates it – because Uber offers a cost-competitive, easy-to-use service with nice, clean cars.

Customers are rather more enthusiastic.

But back to Rohrsheim.

The Sydney-based Adelaide Uni graduate and Stanford MBA lists in his CV – which is impressive – the position of operations manager for Wok in a Box, Adelaide, in 2005. He says he helped launched six of the stores.

Wok in a Box, readers will recall, is the fast food chain that Liberal leader Steven Marshall bought in to – and which briefly became an election issue earlier this year, due to Labor-inspired whispers about the stores’ alleged patchy performance.

Marshall confirmed the connection: “He’s a very capable guy.”

And there’s more.

David Rohrsheim’s brother Geoff is a director of the RAA – South Australia’s peak body representing motorists.

Everyone knows everyone. So very Adelaide.

The Outsider appears in InDaily every Friday, digging into places where we’re not welcome, and probing Adelaide’s obsessions.