CHILD PROTECTION

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (14:17): My question is, again, to the Minister for Education and Child Development. Is there a protocol in her department that the minister's office is automatically notified of any incident of sexual assault at a public school site?

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI (Hartley—Minister for Education and Child Development) (14:17): I am advised that the answer to that question is no. We have a critical incident reporting policy, and so critical incidents are reported. That is very different to the incident that occurred in 2010—very, very different.

We have a number of policies and practices in place. For instance, we have a memorandum between DECD and SAPOL that provides a framework within which both organisations can work; we have a Child Protection in Schools; Early Childhood Education and Care Services policy; we have protective practices for staff in their interactions with children and young people; responding to problem sexual behaviour in children and young people; suicide prevention guidelines; Keeping Them Safe; and responding to abuse and neglect.

There are arrangements between my advisers and the department about the nature of communications that they have. I am happy to come back to this place—

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: Well, if you would like a responsible answer, I will come back to you with precisely the nature of the information that is exchanged. Media queries, for instance, are commonplace. The situation in 2010 is a very, very specific example.