Beach Volleyball World Championships

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (14:58): My question is to the Minister for Sport, Recreation and Racing. Did the state government sponsorship or other funding agreements on the Beach Volleyball World Championships include obligations on the event to prevent the participation of convicted rapists and other serious criminals? If not, why not? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr WHETSTONE: It has been reported today that a convicted child rapist will arrive in Adelaide next month to compete in the world championships.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier, Minister for Defence and Space Industries) (14:58): I am happy to answer this question. The attraction of the world championships in beach volleyball to the state of South Australia was done through the Major Events Fund, hence it falling into the responsibility of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and therefore answering to me.

Let's be very plain about a couple of things that would be already self-evident by virtue of the type of legislation that this government has passed in terms of how strongly we feel about child sex offences and offenders generally. We do not believe that Mr van de Velde should be granted entry into this country. We do not believe that any sex offender who has been convicted of serious crimes should be allowed into our country. I am very pleased to advise the house that the Attorney-General of South Australia has written to the Minister for Home Affairs making plain the South Australian government's position.

More than that, we believe that the Beach Volleyball World Championships is an important opportunity to celebrate that particular sport, an Olympic sport, here in South Australia, and we see increasing levels of participation. In fact, on the weekend I was able to witness, along with a couple of other people present, down at Glenelg, beach volleyball well and truly in train. The member for Gibson was there. This is an event that we think presents an opportunity to highlight the contribution of that sport on South Australian beaches at a really important time, and we would not want to be distracted through the presence of someone who we do not really think should be in the country, let alone participating in the event. Our position is clear and we stand by it.