Oakden Mental Health Facility

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:19): Did the Premier not think, given the level of scrutiny on this issue in the house for the week leading up to him going on leave, that it might have been prudent to look at the contents of that report before he went on leave?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:19): No, because, as the minister has already explained, steps had been taken to address the concerns at this facility from as early as January. Steps had already been put in place by the agency—

Mr Gardner: Well, she hadn't read it before you went on leave.

The SPEAKER: The member for Morialta, I warn him.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —to respond to the issues that were known at that stage during the course of the review. Of course, we didn't wait until the end of the review to take steps. As the minister has outlined in her ministerial statement, there was a series of steps that occurred from the beginning of the year that addressed those issues at Oakden. The matters, as we understood them, were well in hand. The minister's explanation, which I think is a perfectly understandable explanation, is that she wanted the ability to have a briefing from the agency to sit alongside the report as she considered it and gave it her careful consideration over Easter. I think it is entirely appropriate.