Question Time

INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (15:47): My question is for the Premier. How does the Premier justify his statement of 6 August 2009 that he 'would support the establishment of a national anti-corruption agency that covers the whole country', and is this an admission that the bodies currently established in South Australia do not adequately deal with corruption in this state?

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (15:48): I cannot believe it took seven weeks to come up with that! I know that they have different priorities on that side of the house, but the fact of the matter is that we are very proud of the work that our Auditor-General does, we are very proud of the work that our Ombudsman does, and we are very proud of the work of the Anti-Corruption Branch in this state. We are very proud of the systems we have put in place.

However, there is a call around the country, by various people, saying, 'We want an ICAC.' That is $30 million here, that is $30 million here, that is $20 million there, that is $60 million there. What we are suggesting is that perhaps it would make more sense, as with the National Crime Authority, to have one ICAC servicing the whole of Australia. Our priority continues to be more police, more investment, more nurses, more doctors. You can fight amongst yourselves, you can go to the rave parties, you can let out the parolees—you can do all the things you want to do. We will get on with the job of running this state, employing more people, employing more nurses, employing more doctors and employing more police.