Question Time

Child Protection

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:10): My question is to the Minister for Education and Child Development. Which minister is responsible for the culture of Families SA that, according to former chief executive David Waterford, 'had a siege mentality and was often more concerned with protecting its reputation than the safety of children'?

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice Reform, Minister for Planning, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Child Protection Reform, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for Consumer and Business Services, Minister for the City of Adelaide) (14:10): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. We are certainly in a position now where a number of staff at the—

Mr Knoll: Are able to tell the truth.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I need some protection, Mr Speaker, from the member for Schubert. We are in a position—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Morphett will be the only member called to order out of that melee.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I am trying to assist them, Mr Speaker.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I am concerned that some of the members at the front are being made cat's paws of by the member for Kavel.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I would like to finish, but I keep getting interrupted. As I was saying, the situation is that there is no doubt that a large number of people who work in Families SA have felt the pressure and the attention that has been directed towards the work that they do—very difficult work indeed—

Mr Marshall: The question is: which minister is responsible?

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I'm coming to that.

Mr Marshall: Building up to it.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I'm building up to it.

The Hon. T.R. Kenyon: He's got four minutes. He can take as long as he wants.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I've got another three minutes to develop this argument.

Mr van Holst Pellekaan: No, two minutes and five seconds.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Okay, fair enough, but I've still got time to develop it.

The Hon. T.R. Kenyon interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Newland is called to order; he's been doing it all day.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: They have obviously heard enough, Mr Speaker.