Adelaide Remand Centre

Mr ODENWALDER (Elizabeth) (14:45): My question is again to the Minister for Correctional Services. Why were police not notified for 25 minutes that a dangerous prisoner had escaped from the privatised Adelaide Remand Centre?

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Energy and Mining on a point of order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Energy and Mining has the call.

Mr Brown: Doesn't look like you're on top of your brief.

The SPEAKER: The member for Playford will leave for 20 minutes in accordance with 137A.

The honourable member for Playford having withdrawn from the chamber:

Ms Cook: You can't say you can't ask the same thing; this guy has talked about the dog fence about five times in three months.

The SPEAKER: The member for Hurtle Vale will leave for 20 minutes in accordance with—

Ms Cook interjecting:

The SPEAKER: —standing order 137A and will do so in silence.

The honourable member for Hurtle Vale having withdrawn from the chamber:

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Energy and Mining on a point of order.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: The question from the member opposite breaks standing order 97: it was asked in a very argumentative way.

The SPEAKER: I uphold the point of order. I will give the member for Elizabeth an opportunity to rephrase the question in compliance with standing orders.

Mr ODENWALDER: I shall try, sir. My question is to the Minister for Correctional Services. Does the minister think it's acceptable that police were not notified for 25 minutes that a dangerous prisoner with a history of escaping custody had escaped from the privatised Adelaide Remand Centre? With your leave and that of the house, sir, I will explain.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Point of order.

Mr ODENWALDER: I'm seeking leave.

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Energy and Mining on a point of order.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: I do note that the member has sought leave, but he has introduced what he purports are facts in the question before seeking leave. I ask you to, if you are that generous, give him another chance to rephrase.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! In my view, the member for Elizabeth has sufficiently foreshadowed the factual foundation. I will give the opportunity to the member for Elizabeth, if he wishes to seek leave, to explain if leave is granted. Does he seek leave?

Mr ODENWALDER: I do seek leave, sir.

Leave granted.

Mr ODENWALDER: On 891 ABC radio this morning the Chief Executive of the Department for Correctional Services, Mr David Brown, said: 'Was the time frame in this incident too long? It would appear so.' Do you agree?

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services) (14:47): As I quite clearly pointed out, all these types of allegations, insinuations, assertions of fact, they are—

Mr Malinauskas: It's your CEO.

The SPEAKER: The leader will cease interjecting.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: They are details that are subject to investigation. The investigation—

Ms Stinson: But he's happy to say them in the media.

The SPEAKER: The member for Badcoe will leave for 20 minutes in accordance with standing order 137A.

The honourable member for Badcoe having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: We are not shying away from this. It's a very serious matter. We are not shying away from it. The details that the opposition are seeking are subject to this investigation. It's going to be a thorough investigation. We are going to find out what has happened, how it happened and why it happened, and we are going to make sure that we do all that we can as a government to make sure that it doesn't happen again.

Mr Hughes interjecting:

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: And I hear the member for Giles, so I won't respond to interjections, but I just make the point that these types of situations are completely unacceptable. I have made it very clear to Serco that they are completely unacceptable. These types of escapes are very rare. They have occurred when there has been a private operator. They have occurred in the past when there has been a public operator. Any escape from any correctional facility is completely appalling and it's completely unacceptable, but the details that the opposition are seeking to obtain are subject to this investigation, and I do not want to pre-empt it or interfere with that investigation.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Before I call the member for Newland, I warn the member for Chaffey and I warn for a second time the member for Lee. Member for Newland.