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  <name>House of Assembly</name>
  <date date="2020-02-05" />
  <sessionName>Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)</sessionName>
  <parliamentNum>54</parliamentNum>
  <sessionNum>2</sessionNum>
  <parliamentName>Parliament of South Australia</parliamentName>
  <house>House of Assembly</house>
  <venue></venue>
  <reviewStage>published</reviewStage>
  <startPage num="1" />
  <endPage num="42" />
  <dateModified time="2022-08-06T14:30:00+00:00" />
  <proceeding continued="true">
    <name>Question Time</name>
    <subject>
      <name>Member for Waite</name>
      <text id="20200205190bd906cf524faeb0000287">
        <heading>Member for Waite</heading>
      </text>
      <talker role="member" id="5084" kind="question">
        <name>Mr MALINAUSKAS</name>
        <house>House of Assembly</house>
        <electorate id="">Croydon</electorate>
        <portfolios>
          <portfolio id="">
            <name>Leader of the Opposition</name>
          </portfolio>
        </portfolios>
        <questions>
          <question date="2020-02-05">
            <name>Member for Waite</name>
          </question>
        </questions>
        <startTime time="2020-02-05T17:00:31" />
        <text id="20200205190bd906cf524faeb0000288">
          <timeStamp time="2020-02-05T17:00:31" />
          <by role="member" id="5084">Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (17:00):</by>  Thank you, sir. My question is to you, Mr Speaker. Why did it take more than four weeks from the events of Friday 13 December 2019 for the government to launch an investigation into the member for Waite's conduct?</text>
      </talker>
      <talker role="member" id="4840" kind="answer">
        <name>The Speaker</name>
        <house>House of Assembly</house>
        <questions>
          <question date="2020-02-05">
            <name>Member for Waite</name>
          </question>
        </questions>
        <startTime time="2020-02-05T17:00:48" />
        <page num="22" />
        <text id="20200205190bd906cf524faeb0000289">
          <timeStamp time="2020-02-05T17:00:48" />
          <by role="member" id="4840">The SPEAKER (17:00):</by>  Obviously, what has occurred is well set out and that is to date. Obviously, I became aware of the allegations in a personal capacity probably towards the end of December. I would have thought that the party of the worker would realise that there is this period of time between Christmas and new year where a lot of government agencies are closed, a lot of staff are on leave.</text>
        <text id="20200205190bd906cf524faeb0000290">I have had to put in calls over the break, myself and my office, and some of those agencies were actually closed at the time. It is a time when obviously a lot of organisations do not have all staff accessible at that time, so—</text>
        <text id="20200205190bd906cf524faeb0000291">
          <event kind="interjection" role="member" id="5084">Mr Malinauskas interjecting:</event>
        </text>
      </talker>
      <talker kind="speech" role="office">
        <name>The Speaker</name>
        <house>House of Assembly</house>
        <text id="20200205190bd906cf524faeb0000292">
          <by role="office">The SPEAKER:</by>  Yes. I can say that I have certainly acted, let me tell you, as quickly as I reasonably could. I was in correspondence over the break, over the Christmas/new year period, so I do not accept that it has taken—</text>
        <text id="20200205190bd906cf524faeb0000293">
          <event kind="interjection">Members interjecting:</event>
        </text>
      </talker>
      <talker kind="speech" role="office">
        <name>The Speaker</name>
        <house>House of Assembly</house>
        <text id="20200205190bd906cf524faeb0000294">
          <by role="office">The SPEAKER:</by>  I understand the frustration. Can I say that I just don't appreciate the comments to suggest that in any way I have delayed this process, because I have acted as quickly as I can. I think that everyone would agree that it is in everyone's interest that this be dealt with as expeditiously as possible. Leader, and then the member for Hammond.</text>
      </talker>
    </subject>
  </proceeding>
</hansard>