Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Oakden Inquiry

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:48): My question is to the Minister for Mental Health. Why has the government delayed in providing documents to the current investigation by Mr Lander in relation to the Oakden scandal?

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) (14:48): I was explaining it briefly to the parliament, but I think for the sake of completeness, I will start again. There is a joint parliamentary committee, which was established, if I recall, specifically to enable the parliament to interact with and be able to have relatively informal opportunities to speak with the ICAC commissioner.

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: I'm sorry, I'm just dealing with a query from the member for Stuart.

Ms CHAPMAN: Would you like me to wait until you have dealt with that, sir?

The SPEAKER: It's very kind of you to offer, but I will defer to you.

Ms CHAPMAN: Thank you. My point of order is that the deputy is not addressing the question; he is going on in relation to committee processes. My question was specifically not in relation to the evidence that has already been given. My question was to the Minister for Health as to why there was a delay in the production of the documents that Mr Lander referred to yesterday—nothing to do with the committee.

The SPEAKER: Yes, okay, we've got the idea. Attorney.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am attempting to assist the house. I know—

The SPEAKER: As you always do.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: As I always do. I know you, Mr Speaker, are interested in these matters. I was just explaining that this committee, which is populated by members of both houses, did in fact meet yesterday with the—

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: I'm sorry, I was again attending to the member for Stuart.

Ms CHAPMAN: Thank you, sir. Again, the Attorney-General is referring to committee processes, as distinct from the government's explanation as to why they delayed in providing documents.

The SPEAKER: Let's give the Attorney a chance to develop his answer. You know he is very much a slow-developing answerer.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I am, but I do develop eventually, Mr Speaker.

The Hon. L.W.K. Bignell: Like a good red wine.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Indeed—something that takes a little while to get to the good bit. Anyway, what I was going to say was this: I wasn't there but, as I understand it, a number of questions were asked of the commissioner directly in that committee yesterday pertaining to a particular inquiry and the way in which that was going. I understand that he made a comment to the committee which was actually reported broadly either last night or this morning, depending on how you take your media, to the effect that there were a vast amount of materials that needed to be gone through.

I have asked some further questions about this today, and my understanding of the matter is that there are literally hundreds of thousands of pages of material—hundreds of thousands of pages of material—already in the possession of Mr Lander, and that those hundreds of thousands of pages of material need to be the subject of examination and consideration by him. I am also of the understanding, having asked for some advice from the Minister for Health, that he has a staff of six people whose full-time, dedicated task it is to actually go through and try to recover further documents.

Mr Speaker, I think you would appreciate, as I hope all members do, that the documents that are being sought were never held, or filed, or retained in handy large boxes labelled 'Oakden; please pick this box up'. These records are all over the place and need to be collected, put together and provided to the—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: The government is providing every assistance that can be provided to collect all the materials. Again I say, as I understand the evidence that was given by the commissioner, the commissioner has yet to be able to digest all the material that is already in his possession, let alone all the material that will ultimately be in his possession. So we are cooperating. The government is keen to assist the inquiry. The government is keen to provide such materials as may be requested. As I said, my understanding as of today is there are literally hundreds of thousands of pages of material—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I think that was the member for Kavel, was it?

The SPEAKER: No, it was not the member for Kavel; that is an unjust accusation.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: It was the member for Finniss.

The SPEAKER: It was the member for Finniss, who allowed his computer to play music over your answer.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I found that disruptive, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Did you?

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I did.

Ms Chapman: It was comic relief.

The SPEAKER: Yes, quite. Deputy leader.