Emergency Management Act

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (14:52): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier rule out the risk of successful legal challenges to the COVID emergency directions following the end of extensions to the Emergency Management Act powers of the State Coordinator that end tomorrow. With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr PICTON: Tomorrow, the powers of the State Coordinator, Grant Stevens, extended under the COVID-19 act that would apply directions made by the State Coordinator under section 25 of the Emergency Management Act to people generally throughout the state, will end.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:53): We have considered the issues associated with the extension of that bill and have formed the opinion that they wouldn't be necessary. You would appreciate that in the early days we didn't know precisely where this disease would end up, and we put some extraordinary powers in place with the support of the parliament.

Some of those we have been able to keep and make permanent rather than temporary—for example, the taking of oaths not being done in person—and we have been able to do that under regulation.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I'm just trying to explain to you that some of the things that were incorporated into that COVID policy we have been able to deliver with other types of instruments without keeping that in place. Of course, other powers that were put in place were never actually utilised. So, on balance, we have looked at all these issues and formed the opinion that we do not need to extend that further.