Coronavirus, Parafield Cluster

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (14:37): My question is to the Premier. Does the Premier support the decision that Health made not to provide police with evidence, the contact tracing information, regarding the 36-year-old man?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:38): I have made my position on this abundantly clear, both in press conferences and in this house before. I think there need to be consequences for those people who do the wrong thing and provide incorrect, false and misleading information to contact tracers. But I also appreciate the position that has been taken by public health. They believe unequivocally that, if they start to hand over information, this will reduce the likelihood that people will come forward with information.

I would stress very clearly in this situation that this was not a matter, and has never been a matter, about somebody providing accurate information that is then handed over to police. From my perspective, from day one, the real issue here has been that somebody came forward and provided false and misleading information to public health administrators. I think this is an extraordinarily dangerous situation because public health have to frame their response to a cluster, to an outbreak, and so it's absolutely crucial, it's vital. Lives will depend on the fact that that information is fulsome and accurate. In this case, it wasn't.