Question Time

Safeguarding Taskforce

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:07): My question is to the Premier. Does the Premier stand by his statement yesterday to the house regarding the purpose of his disability task force? With your leave, Mr Speaker, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr MALINAUSKAS: The Premier told the house yesterday, 'There are people on this task force with great lived experience and, quite frankly, they want to get to the bottom of a sickening case in South Australia.'

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:07): Of course, they will not be conducting an investigation into this specific case.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left! The member for Playford is called to order.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I tell you, sir, the difference between the opposition and the government: they're obsessed with process; we want outcomes. We want outcomes for those people who are living with a disability in South Australia.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: That's why we have acted promptly. I think this case, which has been well canvassed in the media, has sickened all South Australians. We want to make sure that it can't happen again. That's why the task force has been established: not to look at this specific case but to look at the gaps that exist—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —in South Australia in terms of the oversight or the safeguarding of those people living with a disability. I might have said this yesterday once or twice or 10 times, but it seems like the opposition is absolutely obsessed with the process but not focused on what we are trying to achieve here.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left, please!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: What we are trying to achieve is that there is adequate consideration of the gaps that exist in terms of the oversight or safeguarding of those people who are living with a disability in South Australia and make sure that our most vulnerable citizens have an adequate level of protection while they are receiving services, whether that be from the commonwealth or, of course, from the state government.

We know that a major change has been made in Australia in the past decade and many people have made that transition to become clients of the NDIA. Nevertheless, many of them are South Australian citizens, and that's why we are interested and that's why we acted promptly to establish the task force in South Australia.

Having said that, we also have a major crime investigation, which is currently underway, and a Coroner's inquiry, which will take place after that major crime investigation has been completed. Also, of course, we know that there's a judicial inquiry underway on behalf of the commission, the Quality and Safeguards Commission, the NDIA Quality and Safeguards Commission.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: So there is plenty of work that is underway and there is plenty of work to be done, and our task force forms an important part of that work.

The SPEAKER: The Premier faced a cacophony of interjections during that answer so, consequently, I call the following members to order: the members for Ramsay, Kaurna, Elizabeth, and Badcoe. The member for Lee is warned and the member for West Torrens is warned for a second and final time. The leader has the call.