Child Protection

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:16): My question is to the Attorney-General. Who has responsibility for determining whether child protection remains in or out of the education department, and does the Attorney-General concede that Mr Waterford was correct when he stated that child safety suffered once the child protection department was rolled into the education department?

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) (14:16): I thank the honourable member for his question. I obviously was not present during Mr Waterford's contribution, but I have read in the media reports of what he had to say, just as others have, and that clearly was his perspective on things. But I think the fact is that Mr Waterford was making a contribution to Commissioner Nyland's inquiry. My expectation is that Commissioner Nyland will consider the views of Mr Waterford and many other people as to whether or not that particular formula for the alignment of agencies has been beneficial.

Mr Marshall: Who is responsible is the question: is it you or is it the Minister for Education and Child Development?

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Ultimately, my view is that it will probably proceed in this way. At some point in time, Commissioner Nyland I expect—well, not at some point in time, I think it is about August.

Mr Marshall: Who's making the decisions is the question, and do you support the current arrangement?

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I am happy to take supplementary questions on this.

Mr Marshall: That is the question. That is the original question. We're onto the third question and we haven't had any answers.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Please, let me get to it.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I am trying to actually divine what the substance of the question is. If the question is actually, 'What are you doing right now about changing the structure of the education department?—

Mr Marshall: That wasn't the question.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Okay, well, I'm trying to make sense of it because—

Mr Marshall: Who will be making the decisions?

The Hon. J.R. RAU: The cabinet. The government will in due course make a decision. It may well be that the committee of which I am chair and my ministerial colleagues are members will put a proposition to the cabinet, but ultimately that will be a matter for the cabinet. But can I say this: I think it would be impertinent, rude and disrespectful for the cabinet to go off and make a decision about that matter in the full knowledge that Commissioner Nyland is presently conducting an inquiry into that matter, and we fully expect that the commissioner will have something to say about that topic. I would have thought for us to go off and make any sort of pre-emptive move in any direction would be—

Mr Tarzia interjecting:

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

The Hon. J.R. RAU: For us to make any sort of pre-emptive move in that space I would have thought would be most discourteous.

Ms Sanderson interjecting:

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

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I would expect that there will be—

Mr Knoll interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I warn the member for Schubert.

The Hon. P. Caica interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I call the member for Colton to order.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: My expectation is that we would be in a position as a government to deal with a response to that question subsequent to receiving the report from Commissioner Nyland.