CHILDREN IN STATE CARE INQUIRY

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:14): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Police a question about the Mullighan report.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: On Tuesday, I asked a question of the minister in relation to recommendation 48 of the Mullighan report which, in summary, recommends that South Australia Police undertake an operation in relation to Veale Gardens and other known beats to detect sexual crimes against children and young persons in state care. In the course of his response, the minister referred to two previous operations: Operation Cradle, commenced in April 2005, and Operation Fawn, conducted between 2004 and 2007 in the summer months under the auspices of the Adelaide local service area of SAPOL. In the explanation it would appear that both of those operations (Cradle and Fawn) had concluded their operations.

The minister also indicated by way of answer to a supplementary question on Tuesday that he had already met with the Police Commissioner or the appropriate assistant commissioner in relation to recommendation 48 of the Mullighan report. I note that The Australian reports today that the minister met yesterday (Wednesday) with the Police Commissioner in relation to the report. Of course, that does not preclude the fact that the minister may have met on another occasion prior to answering questions on Tuesday. He might like to correct the record on that. My questions are:

1. Is it correct that both Operation Fawn and Operation Cradle have been concluded and that there is no current police operation in Veale Gardens and other known beats along the lines recommended by the Mullighan report, particularly recommendation 48?

2. Does the minister agree with recommendation 48 of the Mullighan report—that is, that there should be a current and ongoing operation in Veale Gardens and other known beats along the lines recommended by Mr Mullighan?

3. Has he expressed that view to the Commissioner of Police in the meeting (whenever it occurred) on this issue?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Police, Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning) (15:17): In relation to my discussions with the Police Commissioner, yes, I did meet with the Police Commissioner yesterday. I meet with him every week, and I had met with the Deputy Police Commissioner the week before, following the release of the Mullighan report. But I also had raised the matter with the Deputy Police Commissioner (who I think was acting at the time) prior to the release of the Mullighan report. I raised the broad issues that were likely to be discussed in that meeting with him, so I have actually raised these issues on a number of occasions.

I refer to page 459 of Commissioner Mullighan's report—4.2 Children in State care to run away—as follows:

Evidence to the Inquiry indicates that the sexual exploitation of children in State care is still a serious problem. A police operation ('operation C')—

I think we can take it that Commissioner Mullighan is referring to Operation Cradle—

that started in 2005 and continued for 18 months was established as a result of the concern about particular children in State care absconding from residential care facilities and being sexually exploited at Veale Gardens or in hotel rooms. It focused on children who were recent absconders from such facilities and were being sexually exploited. Because this is recent intelligence, it is not in the public interest to publish further details. The Guardian for Children and Young People provided information from residential care staff that of the 55 young residents in community residential care facilities at June 2007, 16 (29 per cent) abscond frequently (more than five times in three months) and all are at high risk.

So, at page 459, Commissioner Mullighan indicates his knowledge of Operation Cradle which, as he said, was specifically designed for dealing with children being sexually exploited at Veale Gardens or in hotel rooms. They are the comments from Commissioner Mullighan himself.

Certainly advice which I have from police and which I gave to the chamber the other day is indicating that, yes, in fact there have been operations such as Operation Cradle and Operation Fawn that deal with this question and specifically at Veale Gardens. Yes, I have discussed the issues with the Police Commissioner and, as I said, the police have had a number of operations specifically dealing with this problem. The police operations do tend to have a finite life—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: As it says here, the police Operation C (Operation Cradle) continued for 18 months from 2005. As I said, they do have operations that go for a period and then there are other operations. You do tend to have—and I am sure it is as true when dealing with the activities of paedophiles as it is with other criminals—a shifting focus in relation to crime. The police will develop new programs and retailor old programs to deal with the shifting nature of crime. As I said, Commissioner Mullighan's words indicate that there have been operations at Veale Gardens. The police—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: That is just outrageous. It is absolutely outrageous. I will not have that sort of nonsense.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: I will put the record straight in relation to this matter. The South Australian police have been diligent, absolutely diligent. Let me read something else Commissioner Mullighan said:

The inquiry has been impressed by the dedicated work of a number of police officers during the past 20 years in regard to the investigation of child sexual abuse generally.

Members of the opposition continually try to denigrate our dedicated police officers who have been doing their best to deal with a range of criminal activities. Our police officers are not lacking in any way in support from the government of this state—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Lucas will cease interjecting.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: However, they are lacking in support from the opposition. Instead of attacking them at every opportunity and raising doubts about what the police are doing, as they seem to do, members of the opposition of this state should be supporting them on the very good job they do.