Coronial Investigations

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:00): Supplementary: given the answer that the Attorney-General has given, as Attorney-General under the Coroner's Act, how many deaths have you referred to the Coroner to undertake a coronial inquest?

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) (15:00): To the best of my recollection, the answer to that is zero. I will check but, from the very beginning of my occupying the office of Attorney-General, I have taken the view that, if any Attorney-General, whether it be me or anybody else, were to start directing the Coroner, the demand upon the attorney of the day, whoever that person might be, to continually then direct the Coroner over and over again in respect of potentially countless numbers of matters, would become overwhelming and it would be inconsistent with what I regard as the important independent role of the Coroner. I am 99 per cent sure the answer to that is zero, but I will make inquiries. I am very confident that, had I done such a thing, I would remember it, but out of an abundance of caution I will make inquiries.