Families SA Disputes Process

Ms SANDERSON (Adelaide) (14:53): Yes, I do. How long should people be expected to wait for an investigation to be completed?

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) (14:53): That's a little bit like asking how long is a piece of string because it begs many questions. But can I say—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: At its smallest—well, it varies you see. Because we have very little particularity in that question, it is difficult for me to answer it with great particularity, but I will attempt my best to answer it. Obviously, an investigation, if directed to the correct agency or investigating person, will obviously proceed at the pace that it is able to proceed according to the procedures and practices that are required by that agency or person, whichever it might be.

But in this case it seems to me that, given that we have Commissioner Nyland there to deal with all matters, including both the complaint in the short-term sense and the mechanism by which complaints in the future might be dealt with in the larger and more intermediate-term sense, and given that she is intending to report, as I understand it, in the first part of next year in April or May, I would think that, if the honourable member proceeded with her matter now, then at its very worst there would be some dealing with the matter in a fashion that she should find satisfactory by the earlier part of next year.