Residential Care Facility Visits

Ms STINSON (Badcoe) (14:34): Can you name any examples?

The SPEAKER: Sorry, member for Badcoe, is the question to the minister?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my right will be quiet.

Ms STINSON: You were all new once.

The SPEAKER: Member for Badcoe, would you like to just rephrase that, please. Thank you.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Ms STINSON: My question is to the Minister for Child Protection. Can the minister name any examples?

Honourable members: Of what?

Ms STINSON: Of what she is doing to ensure that children are not absconding from residential care.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my right, I am really struggling to hear the question with the wall of noise on my right. Minister, would you like—

Mr Duluk interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Waite will be quiet, and he is warned for a second and final time. Could the member for Badcoe please repeat the entire question, and members on my right will be quiet.

Ms STINSON: Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Child Protection. Can the minister name some examples of the measures that she is exploring to reduce the incidence of young people absconding from residential care?

The Hon. R. SANDERSON (Adelaide—Minister for Child Protection) (14:35): It is a good question because it is very important, and this is something that I questioned the former minister on: why are so many absconding and why aren't you doing something about it? As we know, in the 2008 Mullighan report, secure overnight facilities were recommended. The Labor government did nothing for a whole 10 years about that recommendation.

We know that in 2016, in the Nyland Royal Commission, again secure therapeutic services were recommended. The Labor government accepted the recommendation and put it into phase 3, which doesn't come into fruition until 2022. They thought it was so important—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. R. SANDERSON: —that they would wait a whole election cycle before even addressing the issue. Our government has placed importance on secure therapeutic care. The Deputy Premier fought hard in opposition; she spoke many times about the need for secure overnight facilities. As a consequence of that, my department is now looking at ways of bringing that recommendation forward (I believe it is 152), so we are addressing it.

The department is working hard to address ways. I believe there are therapeutic secure facilities in Victoria and New South Wales, which are models that we are looking into. We are doing everything we can. I am also meeting with children. I believe that we need to identify what children are running from or what they are running to. Why are they leaving the facilities? Through meeting them, that is what I am establishing, and I am continuing that work.

The Hon. J.A.W. Gardner interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Badcoe. The Minister for Education will cease interjecting.