HOPES to establish an Independent Commission Against Corruption in SA is fading, with the Opposition, Greens and independents refusing to budge on allowing the State Government to appoint a commissioner without parliamentary scrutiny.

Three days of intensive talks have failed to break the deadlock, and Dignity for Disability MLC Kelly Vincent's proposal that the appointment should be put to a parliamentary committee has been rejected by the government.

Ms Vincent, Opposition leader Isobel Redmond, Greens leader Mark Parnell and independent MLC Ann Bressington took the unusual step of holding a joint press conference to emphasise their opposition to the government's determination to appoint a commissioner.

That opposition will see the ICAC bill, which is now before parliament, stall.

Attorney General John Rau said he would continue negotiating with the Opposition and cross-benchers and hoped "an agreeable outcome is reached when the Parliament resumes next week".

However, Ms Redmond cited the appointment of former Labor candidate Mia Handshin as chair of the Environmental Protection Authority, saying: "The appointment of Mia Handshin show this goverment cannot be trusted to deliver a truly independent commissioner.''

Mr Parnell said: ''It would be tempting for the government to put a mate in this position. When we talk about corruption we are talking about things going rotten inside government so the person who oversees the investigation has to be independent."

Ms Vincent said: "The I in ICAC stands for independent...where does a lot of mistrust lies in the community - with the government itself. We need an open and accountable process.''

Ms Bressington said: "Not only are we going to have the most secrective ICAC in the county we are going to have the least accountable'' and accused the government of deliberately sabotaging the proposed ICAC.



Originally published as ICAC bill stalled by opposition