COVID-19 Emergency Management Powers

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens) (15:05): My question is to the Premier. Who does the Premier believe an unnamed Liberal source was referring to in public statements published today? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Today, an unnamed Liberal source claimed in InDaily—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for West Torrens will resume his seat.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my right! The Minister for Innovation and Skills is called to order, the Minister for Energy and Mining is warned and the member for Schubert will leave for the remainder of question time in accordance with standing order 137A.

The honourable member for Schubert having withdrawn from the chamber:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens has the call.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Today, an unnamed Liberal source claimed in InDaily that, and I quote:

These are the sorts of things that if you're a genuine Liberal—as opposed to a blow-in that Labor rejected—you'd be very concerned about—

in reference to the government's new legislation tabled yesterday.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Planning and Local Government) (15:06): I read an article today of Mr Richardson's in InDaily, which I think is what the member is referring to, which relates to legislation I introduced into the parliament to consider in relation to permanent measures under the COVID-19 act. I won't go into the subject matter of that bill, but what the article refers to is an area of subject matter which has been excised from the original bill.

If the member had been listening carefully to my second reading contribution on that, I explained—and perhaps if he looks at the last three paragraphs in Hansard from yesterday he will see that I have explained—that there was some concern raised—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: By whom?

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: —I will get that—about the ongoing powers of the police commissioner as the Coordinator during the course of an emergency and, notwithstanding that he has had these powers since late March/early April 2020 and there has been no identified abuse or misuse of those powers, that concern had been raised.

In fact, if the member was very keenly reading the media—which he does, it seems—he would have observed that the Australian Hotels Association raised a week or so ago that they were concerned about the extension of police powers which they perceived (although they hadn't seen the bill at that stage) might be beyond what was acceptable. Clearly, given that, a senior stakeholder in the community has raised it—I think it was in the context, if I recall that article, of using powers to shut down the state—as a result of an incident late last year and some commentary by Mr Horne of the AHA as to the use and/or abuse, in his opinion, of those powers.

Whilst I don't agree with some of the matters that I read in the paper on that issue—I don't know whether the member does—I can say that as a member of the government I have great confidence in the police commissioner in managing the directions in respect of the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, to my attention there has not been brought one scintilla of evidence or complaint about the use or abuse of powers by the commissioner and/or his authorised officers.

Nevertheless, I noted that at the time. As I explained in the second reading speech yesterday, given the concern raised, those matters will be dealt with at a later time when we undertake a further review of the exercise and implementation of the emergency management powers that have been utilised since March last year.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Before I call the member for Frome, I warn for a second time the member for Wright and I warn the member for Kaurna. The member for West Torrens can leave for 20 minutes in accordance with standing order 137A.

The honourable member for West Torrens having withdrawn from the chamber:

Mr Pederick interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Hammond is called to order. The member for Frome has the call.