Rob Messenger’s Private Members Speech – Coral Coast Homes

Mr Speaker,

Officers and senior management of the Department of Fair Trade and the Building Services for at least 12 months, possibly longer, have either by gross negligence, or by deliberate misconduct, allowed a conman, John Biles, director of a number of companies (Coral Coast Homes, SSM Products Pty Ltd, trading as Steelsmart Building Systems) to operate unchecked in the Wide Bay Burnett.

At a public meeting on Thursday 11.6.09, 37 people shared experiences, all which had 2 common themes:

1) John Biles has fraudulently and illegally taken money from and ruined the lives of many of my constituents, residents and workers.

2) This Government through its departments of Fair trade and the BSA, even thought they were warned many times over at least the last year, failed to act to protect pensioners, families and retirees from this unscrupulous and heartless conman.

Today, after receiving many written and oral statements from victims …
I am referring the actions of public officials, including the BSA and others to the CMC for investigation.

( Table letter to the CMC )

I also table the letters of complaints from 11 customers and or contractors who have had dealings with the BSA, department of Fair Trading and Mr Biles.

This government, its ministers and public officials must be prepared to listen compassionately and act immediately to help these people recover their money and / or complete building their homes.

This Government must not attempt a cover up of the departmental mismanagement and or misconduct which allowed this sorry and avoidable situation to develop.