Oakden Mental Health Facility

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:43): A question to the Attorney-General: will the Attorney-General be providing funding for legal representation for the victims and the families of the Oakden facility in respect of the investigation?

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) (14:43): The position about funding—as the deputy leader would be aware, the circumstances in which members of the public sector and members of the public are funded, supported or indemnified in respect of matters relating to inquiries—is in general terms dealt with by public sector circulars relating to indemnity or support for funding.

Those various circulars provide for particular circumstances in which indemnity or funding will be provided and they are quite detailed provisions which are administered by the Crown Solicitor. The Crown Solicitor deals with each application on its merits, and my expectation would be that the Crown Solicitor would receive any and all applications for assistance, however they might be brought forward, and that she and her department would apply the circular that has applied for many, many years in an impartial and objective fashion.