Child Protection

Mr TEAGUE (Heysen) (14:50): My question is to the Minister for Child Protection. On what date did the Department for Child Protection contractor, charged with child sex offences, cease working for the department and caring for children? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr TEAGUE: On 21 June, The Advertiser reported that, and I quote:

…the department had refused to say whether the accused woman is still caring for children or if she has been stood down.

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD (Reynell—Minister for Child Protection, Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:50): Thank you to the member for the question. As I have said many times in this house, it is absolutely abhorrent in any circumstance when an adult abuses a child. When they predate on that particular child, it is absolutely abhorrent. No child anywhere—a child in care or anywhere else—should ever be subject to such horrific abuse. Our government is really strong on tackling those issues.

One of the things that is contained in our draft legislation is a very important provision. That provision is to increase the penalties for any person who abuses a child in care and who does so knowing that that child is in care or in a circumstance where they should reasonably have known they were in care. That is a really important provision that is included in the draft legislation. As I presume the member is aware, there is also a suite of other legislation that has either been introduced into this house or passed through this house to toughen penalties.

Mr TEAGUE: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: If you wouldn't mind just being seated.

Mr TEAGUE: Standing order 98: the minister has gone so far as to presume that I am already aware. The minister is debating the point. There is a simple question. It invites an answer in respect of a date. The minister should direct her answer to the question.

The SPEAKER: The minister, if you would continue your remarks and perhaps bring it back to the substance.

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD: As I have said before, I am not going to comment on particular circumstances in relation to particular children. I will say again that any sort of predator who targets children in care—

The Hon. D.G. Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley! You're on your last warning.

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD: Any person who abuses a child in care or, indeed, any child, should be absolutely held to the—

The Hon. D.G. Pisoni: It's Grace Portolesi all over again.

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley will leave the chamber.

The honourable member for Unley having withdrawn from the chamber:

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD: Wow! As I have stated before in this house, this worker—and I think the member now understands—was not directly employed by the Department for Child Protection. Also, I am not able to comment on circumstances relating to matters that may be the subject of investigations or any other court proceedings. I think the member understands that, but I just said it again to be sure.

The other thing I would say is—again, to go back to what I said before—rightly, our government is really focused on tackling the behaviour of vile predators, including those who target children in care. Hence the provisions in the draft legislation, hence the legislation that the Premier and the Attorney-General announced this week would soon be introduced to our parliament, hence the toughening of penalties for those repeat child sex offenders, hence the bill that has been in this house relating to those people who have been identified as abusers and who work in any setting in which children also work.

We will continue that program of reform because on this side of the house we are utterly determined to drive change and to confront those issues that we know our community confronts. There are terrible predators out there, and we are taking legislative and other steps to deal with their abhorrent behaviour.