Families SA

Ms SANDERSON (Adelaide) (15:00): My question is to the Minister for Child Protection and Reform. Can the minister inform the house if Families SA conducted a thorough investigation of the individual living with Amber and Corey, and charged with the murder of the children and their mother, as per the Coroner's recommendation 14.6 in the baby Ebony inquest? The Coroner's recommendation 14.6 states:

I recommend that it be recognised that an essential element of any investigation into a notification to Families SA in respect of a child is a thorough investigation into the background of the parents of the child or of any person in loco parentis to [the] child.

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) (15:01): I thank the honourable member for her question. I am, as presently advised, not aware of where that investigation is up to. I do believe that the department is looking into these matters. I understand that as a matter of course, when there are serious problems in the department, it is something that they look into, as they should, and I believe that is the standard procedure. Exactly where they have gotten up to in relation to this matter, I don't know, and this is why I have been urging the member for Adelaide, in particular, not to be out there raising questions or pointing fingers in relation to the—

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The member for Morphett has a point of order or what?

Dr McFetridge: I have a question, ma'am, a very important question.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, I haven't finished, sorry. I had asked the Attorney to sit down because I couldn't hear him. Have you concluded your remarks, Attorney?

The Hon. J.R. RAU: No, I was going to say that all of us who have an interest in this matter—and I assume everybody does—would obviously in the fullness of time like to know the answer to a great many questions—a great many questions. The one that is raised by the member for Adelaide is a question that has occurred to me, and I'm sure it has occurred to other people, to know the exact context in which the accused person may or may not have been engaged with this group of people.

I would like to repeat though, for the parliament, that we have a current police investigation in relation to this matter. I believe there is an internal investigation, as a matter of course, whenever these sorts of things occur. So, I think the best thing I can do is to allow those people—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.R. RAU: —who are in—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I think I have covered it pretty well.

Mr Marshall: Is there an internal investigation?

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I realise that's an interjection, but I—

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, you are not going to respond to it, are you?

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Okay.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Ashford has the call.

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: No supplementaries; you know the rules. The member for Ashford.

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hang on a second, member for Ashford. Do you have a problem that you want to address somehow?

Mr GARDNER: Ma'am, you identified that we know the rules, that there are to be no supplementaries. The rules, in fact, entirely allow you to allow a supplementary, if you wish.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: In any case, the member for Ashford has the call.

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. T.R. Kenyon interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The member for Newland is called to order, or if you do it again you will be.