Oakden Mental Health Facility

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:03): Further supplementary, if I may, to the Minister for Mental Health: did the chief executive or the head of NALHN or the minister obtain the Attorney-General's approval to instruct private solicitors in respect of this assistance that you are seeking to go outside the Crown Solicitor's Office?

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) (15:03): The question of people stepping outside the normal public sector arrangements in respect of the obtaining of legal advice is a matter that's dealt with by a certain protocol. That is something which sits within the Attorney-General's Department, and I would need to seek advice about that matter to ascertain—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Well, as members might appreciate—

Mr Tarzia interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Hartley is warned.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: As members might appreciate, the Attorney-General's Department deals with a great many matters, some of which involve requests for various agencies to have external legal providers for a range of reasons. I think that's the sort of question, if we want a helpful answer, that I should seek advice from the department, and I will.