Child Protection Screening

Ms SANDERSON (Adelaide) (14:14): My question is to the Minister for Education and Child Development. In relation to the additional 180 Families SA staff that the government is in the process of employing, has the screening process changed for these positions following Mr Hyde's report and, if so, how?

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright—Minister for Education and Child Development) (14:15): All Families SA staff are screened. If you are asking about the criminal history check and background screening, that is undertaken as it has always been undertaken.

Mr Marshall: It hasn't worked.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Why would the Leader of the Opposition say that background screening and criminal history screening doesn't work? It is one tool.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: No, now you're lifting the bar. Once again, you're lifting the bar. And, as I've said on many occasions—

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley is called to order.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: —we go through very similar testing with our Families SA staff as we do with the police. I notice the Leader of the Opposition is not suggesting, for a minute, that we go and screen all of our South Australian police because a group of them has been charged—are you? You're not going down that track. They go through the same sort of psychological testing but you are not suggesting that. Why not?

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Why not?

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Why not?

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Education will stop taunting the leader.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: We're going through these processes. We have also implemented a process so that, once they go through the testing regime, they are interviewed by a psychologist and the recommendations of the interview panel are now going to senior management for approval before appointment.

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Education is called to order. I haven't been suggesting anything about this matter. The Minister for Education is warned a first time. Member for Adelaide.