Bills

Independent Commission Against Corruption (Conditions of Appointment - Integrity Measures) Amendment Bill

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 6 February 2025.)

The SPEAKER: I would like to remind the house that as this is the member's first speech, he should be accorded the normal courtesies and respect afforded to new members on this important occasion. Enjoy it while you can, member for Black, because it is going to get rowdy from here on in.

Mr DIGHTON (Black) (11:04): Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, and can I start by thanking you for the professional development that you have organised for MPs. As the newest MP I particularly enjoyed learning how to do my job, or part of it, so thank you very much. I would also like to acknowledge that where we meet today is the land of the Kaurna people and pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging. It was a privilege to be sworn into parliament last November on the same day that the first address by the First Nations Voice to Parliament was delivered. I am proud to be part of a Labor government that has delivered an Aboriginal Voice to Parliament as part of honouring the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

It is a great responsibility and privilege to be standing here, having been elected by the people of my community in Black. My family and I have been very fortunate to be members of such a beautiful and welcoming community for the past nine years, and it is a great honour to now be able to represent, advocate and deliver for my community.

The electorate of Black contains some of the most beautiful coastline and green spaces in South Australia, including Glenthorne National Park, Hallett Cove Conservation Park, Marino Conservation Park and the newly proclaimed Field River Conservation Park, thanks to our Deputy Premier, Susan Close, and her department's commitment to these significant environmental spaces.

Of course, the electorate is much more than the environment. It is the community that makes it a very special place to live, and I want to pay tribute to the Friends of Parks groups; the service clubs, including the Lions Club of Hallett Cove and Districts, where I was recently inducted as a member; the many sporting clubs; the residents associations; and other community groups. I also want to acknowledge the local churches and parishes that support our community. As a child who grew up as part of a church parish I know firsthand how important our churches are to support spiritual and social wellbeing and development in our communities.

As I said throughout the campaign, building a stronger community is the number one aim of mine, so I say to those organisations and clubs: thank you for the work you do, and I look forward to continuing to work with you to support and build a stronger community.

I would also like to acknowledge the former member for Black, David Speirs. David represented our community for over 10 years, and on behalf of our community I want to thank him for his service to the people of Black and to our state as environment minister and Leader of the Opposition.

Putting oneself up for election is not an easy decision, nor an easy experience, but it is vital for our democracy that candidates put themselves and their ideals forward to represent their party and be a choice in our community. Thank you to my fellow candidates at the last election, Sarah Luscombe, Jonathan Parkin and Amanda Wilson, for their and their families' sacrifice and contribution to our democratic process.

There are many reasons why I stand here, but most importantly it is because I am a member of the Australian Labor Party. I joined the ALP 26 years ago, and it is because of the endurance of our party, of our movement, of our ideals that our party continues to be a party of government. There are others who claim to be proponents of a fairer and more just society, but it is only the Australian Labor Party that can truly deliver a progressive agenda. Thank you to the Australian Labor Party for the opportunity to represent our party.

I would never have imagined that I would be the recipient of such incredible support as I received from across our party during the recent by-election. I want to thank as many as I can of those who supported me to be standing here today. I have known the Premier for over 20 years. In many ways he believed in me before I believed in myself. I thank the Premier for that belief and his support in helping me to be here. We are so fortunate to be led in this state by a person with such a vision, such energy and such determination to progress our state and its people forward.

Our campaign for the seat of Black included a huge effort to doorknock, letterbox and wobbleboard the electorate. I want to thank my fellow Labor MPs—and I am humbled by having you here right now—and Labor ministers for the support. In particular I want to thank the member for West Torrens and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, and the member for Wright and Minister for Education for some particular portfolio support during and since the election.

To my now fellow inner and outer southern MPs—talk about southern hospitality—I was so fortunate to have the support of the member for Kaurna and Minister for Health, the member for Reynell and Minister for Child Protection, the member for Hurtle Vale and Minister for Human Services, the member for Elder, the member for Gibson and the member for Davenport throughout the campaign, and I look forward to delivering for our southern communities moving forward.

Thank you to the union movement and, in particular, to the SDA and United Workers Union for their support and to my local sub-branch, led by President Alex Bond. Alex has been an enthusiastic and vocal supporter of myself for a long time and I thank him for his friendship and support. To other sub-branch volunteers; Bob Dittmar, Sidique Bah, Phil Giles, Greg Kurtzer, Jim Maher, Julie McCrossin, Bella Nicholls-Newman, Darrell Scanlon, Shannon Schedlich, Zara Smith and Claire Smith, thank you.

There are many, many volunteers—and I am, of course, committing a sin by trying to name them and I will not get everyone, so apologies for that—thanks to Alistair Douglas, Isaac Southern, Kylie Douglas, Anna Passmore, Callum Barrott-Walsh, Jim Digance, Tony and Rosemary Clancy, John Bistrovic and many within the Premier's office. I also thank Lydia Heise, May Harrington, Tara Yoon, John Atkinson, David Wilkins, Michael Hicks, Rhiannon Newman and Josh Rayner, as well as many others.

To Lawrence Ben, who had the poor timing to come back to Australia in 2022 and ended up being the campaign manager of a very speculative campaign at that time, thank you very much for your support then and continued support. To Lucas Fragnito, Tanya Fatehi, Ella Shaw, Penni Pappas from the ALP office, thank you for creating the campaign structure to support our campaign.

To the Hon. Emily Bourke—now Minister for Emergency Services, and Correctional Services, Minister for Autism and Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing—your advice and persistence helped me to be a better candidate and probably a better person, but unfortunately not a better dresser. It is not every day or indeed every campaign that a candidate is able to have the state secretary as their campaign manager. Thank you so much to Aemon Bourke for the incredible coordination of the campaign and his ability to keep me mostly calm throughout the process.

To Alison Taylor, my office manager, who helped coordinate volunteers during the campaign and thankfully is now coordinating my office, thank you. Thank you also to Phoebe Redington, Ed Archer, Tory Schiller, Nathaniel Winter and Liam Southern for your help during the campaign and since to get our office up and functioning.

My journey to this place is, of course, much more than just a by-election and the past few months. I would now like to share a bit about my life journey to this place. I am lucky to say that I had a very fortunate childhood. As the middle child of three children, I benefited from both the love of my family and also the involvement of our family in the community.

I have such great childhood memories of family trips to Foul Bay on the Yorke Peninsula to stay in the Vondy's shack—and thank you very much to the Von der Borch family for their friendship and for sharing this spectacular place with us—and of catching yabbies at Brown Hill Creek and fishing with my best mate JB. Thank you, JB, for your love and friendship over 40 years and for being here today: there will be some hard work on the pergolas tomorrow. I have fond memories of camping with my family friends the Laws and thank you to Adrian and Jenny for being here and your friendship over many years.

Of course, my upbringing was not just a highlight reel. My parents demonstrated through both their work and their involvement in our community that the world is interconnected and that we have an obligation to work for the common good. My mum, Chris Dighton, was the coordinator of various community centres: Hackham West, Eastwood, Clarence Park, Ascot Park and Gilles Plains. Mum's respect for the dignity of all members of our community and her commitment to fostering participation through providing services, activities and engagement left an impression on me about the importance of community in our society.

My dad, John Dighton, worked at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)—I was never aware of what it stood for until now. As a kid I was fascinated when visiting the labs and seeing the multitude of test tubes. It was dad's sense of curiosity and dedication to systematic research that I have reflected on throughout my life: the importance of trying to make sense of the world, whilst also trying to solve the problems. Thank you, mum and dad, for the life you have given me, the opportunities you have created for me and the example you have set for me.

To my older brother, Sam Dighton, who was a trailblazer in our family and created a path for us to follow into student and then Labor Party politics and living overseas: I would not be here today but for the path you created, and you continue to encourage me with your ability to navigate life's many ups and downs with ambition and energy.

To my younger sister, Brigid Dighton, whose passion, creativity and bravery inspire me—I am in awe of what she has achieved and continues to achieve in her life—thank you for the love and commitment you show to bringing our family together. Thanks also to my nephews and nieces, Levi Poletto, Iris Poletto, Athena Rogers-Dighton and Louis Rogers-Dighton, for their love and support. I also want to acknowledge other members of my family: Johnny Hilhorst and McKenzie and Austin, Kylie Rogers and Vince Poletto.

My childhood and my life were enriched by the love and presence of my large extended families, which were led by my two late grandmothers: my nana, Eileen Griffin, was one of the kindest and most gentle people and modelled to me the importance of compassion and inclusivity for all people. My granny, Joan Dighton, demonstrated such dignity and independence, along with a healthy dose of candour or unrequested advice.

My mum, Chris, is the youngest of four sisters and my dad, John, is the oldest of four brothers, and I want to acknowledge my aunties and uncles and cousins for their support: my Aunty Marie Hennessy and the Hennessy family; my aunty, the late Jan Taylor, and the Taylor family, and in particular Naomi Szetu; my Aunty Pauline Griffin, my godmother, who has been a great support to me over many years and who is here with us today; along with my Uncle Bill Marshall. I would also like to acknowledge my Uncle Tom Dighton and Aunty Amy Fung—thank you for being here today—as well as my Uncle Simon Dighton and Aunty Josie Rizza and Bella and Harry, whose love and generosity have provided such important life nourishment for my family over many years.

I would also like to thank my Uncle Peter Lawrence and the Lawrence family, and in particular Dash and Suzie. I also want to acknowledge and thank my parents-in-law, Annette and Geoff Jarrett. Geoff and Annette have given me so much. Through them, I have developed and widened my appreciation and understanding of music, of theology, of ceremony and of culture—thank you. Thanks also to my sister-in-law, Danielle Schneider, and Kate Jarrett, and also to David Schneider, Joel Schneider, Luke Schneider, Amelia Murrie, Matt Hendry, Adie and Evan. I feel very blessed to be part of the Jarrett family.

As I mentioned earlier, my family was involved in parish life and we regularly attended the Sunday Eucharistic mass at St Joseph's Kingswood. Whilst it would be perhaps good for the parish priest to say that the most I got out of it was actually listening to his homilies, that was not the case; it was far more about the social gatherings and what transpired after mass. My dad started a men's group and I played basketball for over 20 years for a team that was started by parish families. I want to recognise family friends from the parish: the Swift and the Chorley families for their support both in basketball and in life.

As a family, we have been so blessed to have the grace of former parish priest Father Bob Wilkinson in our lives. Bob baptised me, he married Claire and I, he baptised both my children, Albie and Clancy, and he celebrated several family funerals and other significant occasions. Bob's intellect and compassion and understanding of theology has been a blessing in our lives.

Mum and dad were also involved in the Teams of Our Lady, a Catholic movement founded to support couples in their married life and spirituality. Mum and dad formed a team with five other couples and have been in that team for over 50 years, and those five other families have become the village that helped to raise us. I want to thank the Blencowe, White, Cahalan, Leeson and Wainwright families for their support in my development and their ongoing support of me today. It is through my childhood interactions with my family, with the parish and with the Teams of Our Lady, that I developed an early sense of identity and gained a confidence to engage with the ideas and values that make up our society.

My schooling, too, provided a foundation for my political activism and identity. The Dominican ethos of Veritas and the search for truth and justice that I experienced at Cabra Dominican College was foundational in developing my sense of compassion, social justice and responsibility for action.

Attending Cabra also gave me opportunities, and an immersion trip to the Philippines was one of the most singularly life-changing experiences for me. I left Australia a fairly shy and awkward pimply teenager and returned 2½ weeks later with confidence and purpose to talk about my experience of the amazing culture and beautiful people, as well as the myriad social development challenges that existed in the Philippines that were so different from my own experience.

The Cabra Chapel community remains very important to my family; it is where we regularly celebrate mass and Eucharist. The community has supported my family through life's many ups and downs, and I particularly recognise congregational leaders Sister Bernadette Kiley, Sister Maureen O'Connell, Sister Angela Maroney and Sister Patricia Brady, who are here with us today. Sister Pat coincidentally was my year 8 English teacher and now is one of my top fans on Facebook—thank you, Sister Pat. These women and the Dominican faith and spirituality that they embody inspired me as a school student to be involved in social justice, and today they drive me to use the privilege and responsibility as a member of this place to strive for a world of compassion, of dignity and of truth.

Whilst I was an average university scholar, it was my involvement in student politics at Flinders University where I learnt some important skills that have benefited me today: how to represent a community, bring a team together and engage those who do not want to be engaged. Student politics is also where I made several lifelong friends, including the current federal social services minister and federal member for Kingston, Amanda Rishworth; the Treasurer and member for Lee; the health minister and member for Kaurna; the Victorian Minister for Children and Disability, Lizzie Blandthorn; the former federal minister and member for Adelaide, Kate Ellis; and Sarah Callaghan, Xanthe Kleinig, Brer Adams, Ben Bridge, Jeremy Makin and Henry Parham.

Whilst my journey to this place was a little different from theirs, there is a sense of coming full circle to again have the opportunity to work with the member for Lee and the member for Kaurna, and I thank them for their significant support as I campaigned to enter this place. Special thanks to Amanda Rishworth and Tim. Despite the incredible busyness of her life, her commitment to our community and service to our nation, Amanda has been a dedicated friend to me for 25 years—her presence here is testament to our great friendship, thank you.

At university I joined the Labor Party and I met Justin Jarvis. Justin was the Labor candidate for the seat of Stuart at the 2002 and 2006 state elections, and I worked on both campaigns, including relocating to Port Augusta for the 2006 campaign to be his campaign manager. Justin missed out by less than 1 per cent at both elections. As a Quorn local Justin would have been a wonderful member of this place, and the communities of Port Augusta, Flinders and the Mid North missed the opportunity to be served by a member of parliament who instinctively understood how Labor government policy can make a difference to people in our regional areas. Justin and his family—Carli, Chifley and Maya—remain an important source of advice and friendship to me.

My first full-time political job was working for Senator Linda Kirk. Perhaps the most important experience at Senator Kirk's office was the opportunity to work with Nimfa Farrell. I hope I do not offend her by saying this, but Nimfa was a bit of a political mum to me back then, and I have appreciated her support over many years. Nimfa's support and friendship led me to working at the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association—the largest trade union in Australia.

The SDA represents some of the lowest paid and vulnerable workers in society—workers who form part of an easily replaceable workforce and who are often treated as commodities because someone else is lining up for their job. The opportunity to represent and advocate for the needs of workers and to train shop floor delegates and health and safety representatives to empower them to make a difference in their workplaces was very fulfilling and politically formative for me. Thank you to the then secretary and now federal trade minister, Senator Don Farrell, for giving me the opportunity to be the trainer—arguably the best job in the union—for being a great boss and for his ongoing support over many years, and thanks for being here, Don.

Thanks also to the Hon. Reggie Martin, Sonia Romeo, and the Minister for Planning and member for Taylor, who I shared an office with back then and now have the opportunity to share a chamber with. It is another sense of coming full circle to be again working with you after so long.

Twenty years later I can safely say that I would not be in this place without the support of the SDA, both in my formative political years and in my recent campaigns. I want to thank Secretary, Josh Peak, and Assistant Secretary, Jordan Mumford, for their continued faith in me to represent the interests not just of SDA members but of all working people and their families.

After the SDA, I had the opportunity to work in public affairs and relations. Whilst I was particularly average at generating new clients, I learnt a lot about the intersection between corporate and government affairs. I was very fortunate to work with Cathie King. Cathie has an amazing understanding of government and political strategy. What I learnt from her then is arguably much more important to me now. Thank you, Cathie.

Having completed a Bachelor of Secondary Education whilst working at the SDA, I decided after working as a government relations adviser that I needed to save my soul, so I took the plunge into teaching. It was fortuitous that I had completed a teaching placement at Sacred Heart as part of my studies. I managed to get a contract for one year. Sacred Heart became my job and more importantly my community for the next 16 years.

I found that being a teacher was an immensely satisfying and fulfilling vocation. The opportunity to have a direct impact on the lives of young people and to see them learn was very rewarding. Of course, teaching is not without its challenges. In my time as a teacher, I have seen the changes in complexity of the teaching profession. One particular change was the increase in students with a disability.

According to the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), last year over 25 per cent of school students received an educational adjustment due to disability. This is up from 18 per cent in 2015. Supporting our teachers and school support staff so that they can provide quality education to all students must be a critical aim. I am proud that this government is leading our nation with the implementation of autism inclusion teachers in every public primary school.

As a former legal studies teacher, I am very passionate about civics and democracy education. I loved supporting my students to learn and understand our democracy, our systems of justice, our systems of government and even about this very place. Teaching students about democracy is crucial to maintaining a socially cohesive society and to ensure that all students understand their responsibilities to be active students and citizens.

Like many in here, I was disappointed and shocked to read this morning the report from ACARA that there has been a significant decline in civics knowledge amongst our school students. I look forward to supporting the work of the education minister and the government in the implementation of curriculum reforms in civics and citizenship.

I want to thank my mentor teacher, Shane Hennessey, who is with us today. Shane's passion for legal studies, for social cohesion and even for our constitution, was inspiring to me as a young teacher and is inspiring to all the students he taught. Thank you, Shane.

I also had the opportunity to hold several leadership positions during my time at Sacred Heart. Those roles allowed me to support the strong sense of community and belonging that exists at Sacred Heart. The values of the Marist charism and ethos, which emphasise family spirit and being present and nurturing to one another, permeate the lived experience for staff, students and families.

In the recent by-election, I was often surprised and reminded when I met a former Sacred Heart student or family how strong that sense of belonging is and they would talk about the positive experience they had. I believe that building a sense of belonging is crucial to academic and wellbeing outcomes.

I note the most recent Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) found that students in countries with better PISA results than Australia also had higher levels of belonging. We have a job on our hands to improve the sense of belonging that Australian students feel at their school. I am pleased to see that the government's public education strategy places belonging and wellbeing as a central aim within that strategy.

Of course, belonging is not just relevant for student development and achievement. It is critical to wellbeing in our society. I reiterate my commitment to building a stronger sense of belonging in the community I now represent. I want to thank the Sacred Heart community. As I embark on a new journey and a new career, I do so with the confidence and strength of that community, having learnt so much from the staff, the students and the families.

In 16 years, I have worked with so many fantastic teachers and educators. I cannot name them all, but the following have been particularly important friends and colleagues: George Chyer, Karen Bailey, James Grant, John Cadd, Mick Boers, Adriana Cvorkov, Tim Fernandez, James Gill, Robert Gill, Beth Caldwell, Meagan Kozlowski, Sarah Martin, Belinda Barrile, Daniel Head—who is here today representing the Sacred Heart community; thank you—Shana Bennett, Trevor Freeman, Andrew Boeyen, Julie Hext, Kathryn Mortlock, Deborah Hearl and Deb Winchester.

Thanks also to the Marist Brothers, who live at Somerton Park. They are a constant and dignified presence within the community and I learned a lot about how important it is to turn up and be present, thanks to Brother Des Howard, Brother Greg McCrystal, Brother Pat, Brother Brian and Father Mick Brennan.

I was fortunate to work closely with two principals at Sacred Heart: Steve Byrne and Daniel Lynch. Steve and Dan supported my leadership, supported me through some of life's greatest challenges, and supported me as I entered this place. I have learnt so much from their authentic, strategic, courageous and empathetic leadership. Thank you, Steve and Dan.

Throughout my teaching career, I was—and I remain—a member, and for a brief period even a delegate, of the Independent Education Union. I want to thank and acknowledge the work of the IEU and its current secretary, Tim Oosterbaan, for their work in representing teachers and educators.

It is safe to say that life does not always turn out the way you would expect. In July 2023, our second son, Clancy Alexander Jarrett-Dighton, was born at Flinders Medical Centre. Clancy was named after the poem Clancy of the Overflow by Banjo Paterson, and in particular the lines that we loved:

And he sees the vision splendid of the sunlit plains extended,

And at night the wondrous glory of the everlasting stars.

We had hoped that our child would love being in nature and experiencing that wondrous glory of the everlasting stars.

Clancy's journey proved to be different to what we had hoped. After spending the first week out in the world with us at home, Clancy returned to hospital, as we were concerned about his breathing. For the next six weeks, Clancy remained at Flinders and then at the Women's and Children's Hospital, undergoing many tests to try to determine what was responsible for his deteriorating condition. Finally, it was determined that Clancy had a very rare, severe and degenerative neuromuscular disorder, nemaline rod myopathy, for which there is no cure. This result explained why Clancy's muscles had continued to weaken and he became more and more reliant on ventilation.

At the start of September, aged nine weeks, Clancy died. Clancy's death was a shattering tragedy for us, one that continues to impact us each day as we navigate the loss of our child and of our hopes and dreams. Despite our ongoing grief at losing Clancy, we feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to know and love Clancy, to see him smile and be known and loved by him. We know not all parents and families who experience infant loss get the same amount of time with their child. I want to acknowledge the stillbirth community and the work of my colleague, the member for Newland, for setting up an inquiry into stillbirth in South Australia.

Clancy's life and death taught us a great deal about love and grief and grace. The Irish poet and Celtic theologian John O'Donohue describes grace as the 'permanent climate of divine kindness'. It suggests a compassion and understanding for all the ambivalent and contradictory dimensions of the human experience and pain. This climate of kindness nurtures the sore landscape of the human heart and urges torn ground to heal.

Grace is the perennial infusion of springtime into the winter of bleakness. Remembering the grace of, through, and because of Clancy, has helped us to navigate our grief. Clancy demonstrated so much grace and strength as he dealt with his condition and his treatment. He put up with so much, so that we could get to know him and to see him smile.

Clancy showed us the grace of doctors, nurses and health workers, who provided such high levels of kindness and care and respect. Having spent more time in hospitals than I would like, I speak from experience about the incredible work that our frontline health workers do for our community.

Clancy showed us the grace of our family, friends and community, who supported us with love, with food, and with prayers. I want to thank all members of our community who continue to check in about how we are going, and who mention Clancy's name. For many in the infant loss community, there is a great sense of comfort and honouring when people say our little one's names. We should not be worried about saying the wrong thing or upsetting people. What is more important is that people create a space for families to grieve and honour their child and, if that does make us upset, then that is a healthy response to something we need to accept more in our society.

Clancy showed me the grace of my son, Albie, who dealt with an absent family and continues to include and honour Clancy in our life. Clancy showed me the grace of my wife, Claire, who demonstrated such dignity and strength throughout Clancy's life. Claire spent two months living in hospital wards, often sleeping on chairs. Whilst patient care and facilities are obviously the number one priority, our experience as parents with a child in ICU demonstrated the need for improved parent facilities in our hospitals so that the primary care relationship between a parent and a child can be maintained.

I am proud to stand here as the father of two children: Clancy and Albie. Albie reminds me every day how lucky I am to be his dad. Albie, you have such determination, strength of character, a great sense of humour—in fact, his favourite thing to say at the moment and shout out from our living room window is 'MP in his undies'. My apologies for the mental image I have just provided you with. I think it is some sort of payback for my declaration during the by-election that being a local from Hallett Cove was more important than being a dad. I am so proud of you Albie. Thank you so much for being my son.

To my wife, Claire, you are my best friend, and I am so grateful it is you I walk this life with. Your compassion, your patience and your creativity is crucial to balancing our family. Thank you for the love, the advice, the support, and the sacrifice you have made throughout our life together, but particularly now as I sit in this place. I would not be here but for you. I love you so much.

It is a true honour to serve in this place, to serve my community, to serve our future generations and, as former Labor Prime Minister Ben Chifley declared, to strive for the light on the hill and the betterment of all our society not only here but anywhere we may give a helping hand.

The SPEAKER: Congratulations to the member for Black on an outstanding first speech. We wish you all the best for your work in here and also in your community.