Child Protection

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:30): Supplementary to the minister: is the minister concerned now, having read the allegations made by Mr Waterford in respect of the concerns raised and the risks in these circumstances, that the calculated risk, as has been described, is still not being taken, given the recruitment shortage she has just outlined?

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Minister for Education and Child Development, Minister for Higher Education and Skills) (14:31): I am simply not going to provide a running commentary on statements that may have been made yesterday by a former employee that are mediated through the newspaper. We have a royal commission running. The royal commissioner is asking questions and receiving evidence, and she will contemplate what recommendations she makes on the basis of that.

This should not be interpreted as a lack of interest in what is being said to the royal commission, but it is completely unhelpful for me to try to make policy on the run or responses on the run via commentary that has been made yesterday in the royal commission and in the newspaper this morning.