Question Time

Child Protection

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:10): My question is to the Premier. Will the Premier now unreservedly apologise to the hundreds of families affected by his creation of a super department for education and child protection?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:10): Well, I have and I am happy to repeat it. I do unreservedly apologise for the fact that our most vulnerable children, children that the state has a responsibility for the care and protection—was unable to occur in a number of important cases over the life of this government. This is an important responsibility—

Mr Pisoni: Apologise for your failure—your failure.

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley is warned.

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley is called to order and warned.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: This is a critical responsibility of government and—

Mr Tarzia: And you failed.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: And we certainly have failed those children who have died in circumstances where there could have been ways of their being protected.

Dr McFetridge: No ministerial accountability whatsoever.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: It needs to be remembered that each of the cases that have been reported, I think, extensively have been the subject of findings of criminal guilt—each of those cases.

Mr Gardner: They didn't need to happen though.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Paedophiles, criminal neglect, in some cases murder—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: These are cases of enormous—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader is called to order. So is the member for Morphett, the members for Hartley, Morialta and the deputy leader. The member for Morphett is warned a first time. He is warned a second time. If I hear him utter anything outside standing orders, he will be departing.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Mr Speaker, the tone of the response from the opposition is interesting. It is quite different from the tone of the response of the sector who actually have spent their life's work actually caring and protecting the children. What they want is a fresh start. What they want is both sides of politics—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Morphett will depart for the remainder of question time under sessional orders.

The honourable member for Morphett having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I think the overwhelming preponderance of opinion is that people are looking forward to a fresh start in this agency. They are looking forward to new leadership and I call on those opposite to join with us—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader is warned.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —in enacting in a speedy way the decisions we take to act on the royal commission's report.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader is warned for the second and final time.