Crown Solicitor

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:45): Supplementary: is the Attorney-General aware of any application that has been submitted, is to be submitted, or has been processed?

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) (14:45): As I have indicated, I don't know what is on the desk of the Crown Solicitor, and I do not—

Mr Gardner: You sound like Mike Rann talking about the golf course.

The SPEAKER: The member for Morialta is warned.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Because it's the end of the session, I know there are some people who are getting a little bit sort of Christmassy. It reminds me of something I have shared with the house before, and, Mr Speaker, I know you have recalled this but some others may not have. As a great American civil servant once said, there are the known knowns—

Ms Chapman: How many times do we have to hear this?

The SPEAKER: I won't have this interrupted. I want it completed and I want it completed correctly.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I can date this: I think it was late 20^th century or early 21^st century. The speaker is Mr Rumsfeld. At a conference, when he was being pressed, he made the point that there were the known knowns; the known unknowns, that is, the things you know you don't know; and then there were the unknown unknowns, which are the things you don't know that you don't know. And, of course, I am in that predicament presently.

What I can tell you is that, of the known knowns, there is a known known, and I know that the Crown Solicitor from time to time does receive applications and they are processed according to a set of rules. That I do know. I am confident that, in the event of the Crown Solicitor receiving any application from any person, that will be processed. The known unknown is that I know he will get various applications from unknown people but I don't know what he will do with them. So that really is where I am at this present point, if that helps.

Ms CHAPMAN: Supplementary, if I may.

The SPEAKER: Thank you, no. We are moving on to the member for Colton.

Ms Chapman: The last known unknown.