Child Protection

Mr TEAGUE (Heysen) (14:39): In the context of that answer, a question to the Premier once again: did the Premier involve the Minister for Child Protection in his decision last week regarding rapid welfare checks? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr TEAGUE: I heard the commissioner tell ABC radio last week that he had received a call from the Premier on or about 9 November and prior to the announcement requesting SAPOL to apply resources to rapid welfare response. When asked on radio on 10 November about the rapid welfare checks being carried out on 500 children, the minister said, 'I understand that SAPOL will be coordinating their efforts, so I won't speak to their processes, but I understand they will work hand in hand with DCP to do very rapid welfare checks, so physically going to homes to check on the welfare of the children.' When asked, 'Sorry, you understand, so you're not sure?' the minister replied, 'No, I do understand. What I'm saying is that SAPOL will oversee those welfare checks.'

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:40): Yes, that all sounds right and entirely consistent with what I just explained earlier. It won't surprise the shadow minister that myself and the Minister for Child Protection, with other ministers in the house, are in regular contact on this issue because it is so important.

The Minister for Child Protection has been working—to say 'very hard' is a massive understatement—to make sure that the Department for Child Protection is responding to these tragedies appropriately, and the Minister for Child Protection is showing the leadership that is required in receipt of these two reviews. Naturally, her and I are talking on an incredibly frequent basis regarding this. Not too dissimilar, as recently as today with the police commissioner, the Minister for Child Protection and I have spoken about this on an almost daily basis, including today.