Domestic and Family Violence

Mr TEAGUE (Heysen) (14:47): My question is to the Premier. Will the Premier apologise to 'Natalie'. With your leave, sir, and that of the house I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr TEAGUE: 'Natalie' (not her real name) received a letter from the Premier, on the face of which was set out her full name and address. 'Natalie' lives at an undisclosed—

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: Member for Heysen, there is a point of order from the member for West Torrens which I am bound to hear under 134.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The opposition is now asking questions of anonymous people on the basis that the Premier owes whoever this person is an apology. It is hardly within the standing orders.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I will hear the member for Morialta.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: The consistent tradition of Speakers is to allow such questions. When a person of the characteristics that the member for Heysen is seeking to describe is in question, it would be most inappropriate to use their details and name, which goes to the heart of the point of the question. Leave having been sought, I request and urge that the member for Heysen be allowed to finish the explanation.

The SPEAKER: I will listen to the explanation.

Mr TEAGUE: I will commence the explanation once again, for the benefit of the house. 'Natalie' (not her real name) received a letter from the Premier, on the face of which was set out her full name and address. 'Natalie' lives at an undisclosed location as a victim of domestic violence. She reported feeling fearful and vulnerable upon receiving the letter.

The SPEAKER: I am going to permit the question. I will seek advice from the Clerk in the following days. Premier.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:48): The letter we have written to people did not disclose their address to anyone apart from the recipient of those letters, which is utterly—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —appropriate.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: Furthermore, one of the things that was top of mind when we—

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: One of the things that was top of mind for the government when we were contemplating these changes regarding the way tenancies operate, and the rental market more broadly, was actually to enhance the support that had been provided to victims of domestic violence. We did that through a range of measures that were directly informed by advocates in that regard and I want to thank the Minister for Women, who is responsible for stopping violence against women, for that advocacy.

These are serious changes that we have made to the Residential Tenancies Act. They are not just about supporting renters in the context of the amount of rent they pay, but also a range of other considerations as well. So the very people who now have additional rights—

The Hon. D.G. Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley is warned for a final time. The Premier has the call.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: It is important that the very people who are the beneficiaries of those additional protections and additional rights know about them. If there is someone in a vulnerable circumstance who isn't aware of the rights afforded to them, if they are not aware of the enhanced provisions that are there to protect their interests, then it is almost as though they don't exist.

The Hon. J.A.W. Gardner interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Morialta, order!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: That is why we have written to them via direct mail, the most discreet and direct form of communication. It is not a broadscale TV advertising campaign. In this instance, we are directly communicating with the very people who now have additional rights as a result of the changes that the government has made.