House of Assembly Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3) 51 3 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Parole Board PAROLE BOARD Ms CHAPMAN House of Assembly Bragg PAROLE BOARD Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg) (15:03): Mr Speaker, I have a supplementary question, also to the Attorney-General. Why is the Attorney continuing to ask the chair of the Parole Board to be responsible for this decision when he well knows that she did not chair the panel that made the recommendation for release? The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON House of Assembly Croydon Attorney-General Minister for Justice Minister for Multicultural Affairs Minister for Veterans' Affairs PAROLE BOARD The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON (Croydon—Attorney-General, Minister for Justice, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (15:03): Ms Nelson seems to have a clearer vision of her responsibility than does the member for Bragg. Ms Nelson has said that, as chairman of the Parole Board, she accepts responsibility for each and every parole decision, and she has gone into the public arena to argue with the government about the merits of this parole decision. Ms Nelson believes the decision to release Shane Andrew Robinson is correct and the Rann government believes it is wrong. We have been having a public debate about it, and I am surprised at how sooky sooky la la the opposition has become about this public debate. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON House of Assembly The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: Apparently, it is intimidating and threatening, and something that the opposition cannot cope with, that I say it might be time— Ms Chapman interjecting: The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON House of Assembly The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: —for some new members of the Parole Board. Well! The Hon. K.O. FOLEY House of Assembly The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: On a point of order, Mr Speaker, the member for Bragg is obviously not in high spirits today, but to refer to the Attorney-General as a coward is unparliamentary, and I ask that it be withdrawn. Ms CHAPMAN House of Assembly Ms CHAPMAN: I am happy to withdraw, Mr Speaker. The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON House of Assembly The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: All through my career in politics, the context in which I have met Ms Nelson has been at the races. I understand that she is a very proficient rider of horses and that she hunts to hounds, something I admire greatly.