SA Pathology

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:16): Supplementary, sir: what steps has the minister taken to ensure that covert surveillance does not occur in his department without ministerial approval?

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice Reform, Minister for Planning, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Child Protection Reform) (14:17): Mr Speaker, I haven't said anything in relation to any of these questions until now, but I think it is about time we said something about the humbug that is going on here today. The position is pretty clear on this. The surveillance devices legislation in South Australia is an antiquated piece of legislation dating back to the 1970s or 1980s. At that stage, if there were mobile phones, they were the size of a house brick. I remember my parents telling me about this: that's how I know about it.

The SPEAKER: Point of order.

Ms CHAPMAN: The government was asked a very specific question about other instances. That does not give an invitation to the Attorney to get up and bleat about his failure to put through amendments to other legislation—

The SPEAKER: 'Bleating' implies that the Attorney is a sheep and is, therefore, out of order.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order and, if the deputy leader takes a point of order on the wholly germane answer of the Deputy Premier, we will be dispensing with her services. Deputy Premier.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. There is an old adage about people in glasshouses and stones, and I would point out to the opposition and, more particularly, those people in the gallery who might be interested in this little story, that the government has been trying for years to modernise the surveillance devices act. We have put up bills to deal with the surveillance devices act over and over again and, just like the legislation we put up over and over again to say that convicted drug traffickers should lose their assets, it has been blocked by the members opposite in the other place. Why they have chosen to block progressive legislation to deal with this, to regularise this, to assist the South Australian police force and to enable us to—

Mr GARDNER: Point of order: I fear that the Deputy Premier is now reflecting on a vote.

The Hon. J.R. Rau interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Deputy Premier will not play to the gallery, as he did earlier. I call him to order. We have a point of order from the member for Morialta.

Mr GARDNER: I think I am tempted to go with debate, but, also, the minister is reflecting on a vote.

The SPEAKER: But not of this place. Deputy Premier.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I can assure members present, Mr Speaker, the vote in this place on all occasions has been fine. There has been no problem. This house has resolved that it is a good idea for us to regulate listening devices and acknowledged there is a thing called the interweb that didn't exist in 1970. We have also in this house resolved that declared drug traffickers should lose all of their assets. We have resolved that four times so far.

The SPEAKER: Yes, I am afraid drug traffickers does not have a great deal to do—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Yes, thank you, Treasurer. Is there more?

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Absolutely. I say to those opposite, if they want to grumble about the fact that the legislative arrangements in South Australia are completely antiquated in respect of the management of listening devices, they have a very simple way of resolving that matter. They can speak to their friends in the other place and urge them to pass the legislation.