CHILD PROTECTION

Mr MARSHALL (Norwood—Leader of the Opposition) (14:18): My question follows on from the Premier's previous answer, and so I direct it to the Premier again: why did it take the media scrutiny for the government to come to the view that the confidentiality clause wasn't required?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Treasurer, Minister for State Development, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for the Arts) (14:19): Mr Speaker, the matter that was raised by the gentleman in question was referred to the chief executive of the Department for Education. He has been working through each of those issues. He has had to retrieve a considerable amount of material, because it is a historical matter dating back to 2004-05, and he has reached the conclusion that he has about those matters after considering all that material. I was asked about the matter in a radio interview, and without knowing about the specific details of this case expressed a general view; I did not express a view at all about the specific case until we had an opportunity to speak directly with the young man in question.

The SPEAKER: A supplementary.