Residential Care Facility Visits

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:56): My question—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my right!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.C. van Holst Pellekaan: Tom said it was okay, did he?

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Energy is on two warnings.

Mr Pederick: Kouts gave permission.

The SPEAKER: The member for Hammond is warned.

Mr MALINAUSKAS: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Premier. Will the Premier initiate an immediate independent investigation into the incident that has taken place at a residential care facility following the Minister for Child Protection's visit in April this year?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:57): I am very happy to answer this, because can I just say that I have a great deal of confidence in the chief executives who work within the Public Service, and let me tell you—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Premier will be seated for one moment. The member for Kaurna and the member for Lee can leave for half an hour, please, under 137A. They can leave for half an hour under 137A. They have had enormous latitude today. There are 14 minutes left. I would like to give members more questions. Thank you.

The honourable members for Kaurna and Lee having withdrawn from the chamber:

Mr Pederick interjecting:

The SPEAKER: And the member for Hammond will be joining them shortly at this rate. The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Thank you, sir. I've got enormous confidence in each and every one of the chief executives who work—

Ms Hildyard: What about your minister?

The SPEAKER: The member for Reynell is on two warnings.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I have absolute confidence in every one of the chief executives who work in our Public Service, and it was—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Premier will be heard in silence. While there are interjections, the Premier will not continue.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: If the chief executive thinks that an independent inquiry should be put in place, then I am sure it will be put in place. But the simple fact of the matter is the chief executive—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Koutsantonis: Don't blame him; he just works there.

The SPEAKER: Order! Premier.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: And, of course, the chief executive is on the record today repudiating some of the outrageous suggestions—

Ms Stinson: Very, very particular words that's she's used there.

The SPEAKER: The member for Badcoe is warned.

Ms Stinson: Very particular.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: It must be humiliating for the member for Badcoe.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: She has elbowed her way on to the front bench with a great—

The SPEAKER: Yes, personal reflection. I ask the Premier to please withdraw 'elbowing her way to the front bench'. It's not that easy.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I withdraw, sir.

The SPEAKER: It's really not that easy.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I withdraw, sir.

The SPEAKER: Thank you.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: But she has certainly made her way—

The SPEAKER: Please keep to the substance of the question.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —to the front bench with alacrity, and, sir, what a mess she has made of it recently. What a complete and utter mess that she has made of it recently.

The SPEAKER: Please return to the substance, Premier.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: And the thing about this—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I want to listen to the answer.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —shadow minister, who is in such a rush to get to the front of the queue, is that she doesn't understand the complexity—

Dr Close interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —of a very, very—

Dr Close interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The deputy leader will not interject.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —difficult portfolio that exists, and that is the area of child protection.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: She doesn't understand it because, if she did, she wouldn't be asking the types of questions that she's asking in parliament.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: The previous government left child protection, like so many areas, in a complete and utter state of crisis.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: The fact that the opposition—

Dr Close interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Deputy leader, please cease interjecting.

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order, sir: relevance. The question was about an independent inquiry.

The SPEAKER: With all respect to the member for West Torrens, the Premier is being continually interjected by members opposite and behind him. I ask them to please cease or further members will be departing in the last 12 minutes. Premier, please stick to the substance of the question.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Yes—which was about an inquiry into the area of child protection. There were multiple inquiries into the area of child protection unfortunately ignored by those opposite. In fact, inquiry after inquiry after inquiry would have the same recommendations to the former government—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —regarding their hopeless performance in terms of child protection, all ignored—the same recommendations ignored for years. The fact that the opposition has actually elected the member for Port Adelaide as the deputy leader shows that—

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Point of order. The Premier will be seated for one moment.

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: This is now debate, sir.

The SPEAKER: Debate, 98. Premier, I again ask you—I will not ask you again—please stick to the substance of the question or wrap up your answer, please.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: The question is—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader will not interject. You are now on two warnings.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: The question is about whether or not I should call for an inquiry into a matter that has occurred within the Department for Child Protection. I make the point that I am very satisfied with the performance—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —of this department under the new, dedicated leadership of the child protection minister. For the very first time in South Australia, we are arresting the very casual attitude that the former government had to this most critical of portfolios. Many people have said that you can judge a government by the way it treats the most vulnerable. Well, let me tell you, those opposite should hang their heads in shame for the way that—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —they treated our most vulnerable. Whether it be in child protection or whether it be at Oakden, those opposite should hang their heads in shame. By contrast, we now have a dedicated Minister for Child Protection with no other responsibilities, focused on working methodically through improving the lot that we were left by those opposite. So I will not take any lectures from those opposite and I will not be establishing an independent inquiry.

The SPEAKER: The Premier's time has expired. The member for Flinders.