SECURITY AND INVESTIGATION AGENTS (MISCELLANEOUS) AMENDMENT BILL

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 19 March 2013.)

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (15:36): I would like to thank honourable members for their second reading contributions. The Security and Investigation Agents (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill is obviously an important step towards harmonising the regulation of the private security industry to improve probity, competence and skills of security personnel and mobility of security industry licensees across jurisdictions. While South Australia has long been recognised as a leader in this area, the bill seeks to strengthen the existing stringent probity requirements that we have and aims to improve public confidence in the private security industry as harmonised probity checks and training requirements will apply across all jurisdictions.

Bill read a second time.

Committee Stage

In committee.

Clause 1.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The government advised that they intend to undertake further consultation before commencing the provisions relating to provisional licensing and temporary licences. I wonder if the government could advise the chamber on progress in those consultations?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: I have been advised that it is anticipated that consultation will occur once the remaining reforms have been implemented.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: I thought from the second reading explanation that they were going to be pursued once the government had the opportunity to consult with other jurisdictions to see whether their probity requirements were sufficiently reassuring to the government that they felt comfortable moving to the provisional licensing and temporary licences. Can we clarify, if that is not the reason for the delay, what is the reason for the delay.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: I have been advised that, overall, extensive consultation has already occurred on this bill; however, there are two areas where delay has been identified. I am advised that South Australia already meets many of the agreed elements of the reforms, including fingerprinting, most qualifying offences, and national and local criminal history checks.

Delaying the introduction of temporary licences allows for other jurisdictions with lesser probity requirements to fully implement agreed minimum probity standards, such as fingerprinting. This means that, by the time they may be implemented, temporary licence applicants in possession of interstate licences who wish to work temporarily in the state will also be required to meet standards of probity that are similar or equivalent to those applied in Australia.

Delays have also been necessary, given the need to integrate the ICT changes necessary for security reforms, the scheduled work on alterations to Consumer and Business Services' IT licensing infrastructure. This approach has prioritised the implementation of those reforms that would, if deferred, undermine the operation of mutual recognition or delay further work towards national licensing. As I have said, further consultation with industry members will happen before the commencement of those provisions, and that includes those delayed provisions I have just outlined.

Clause passed.

Clauses 2 to 30 passed.

Clause 31.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: I move:

Page 18, line 27 [clause 31, inserted section 23R(2)(a)]—

Delete 'the holder of a security agents licence that' and substitute 'a security agents licence'

This amendment is a minor drafting amendment. The section relates to the cancelling of a licensee's ability to perform duties that relate to carrying a firearm if their related firearm licence is cancelled. The amendment ensures that the reference to the security agents licence is consistent through the subsection and is applied as intended.

Amendment carried; clause as amended passed.

Remaining clauses (32 to 48) and title passed.

Bill reported with amendment.

Third Reading

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (15:45): I move:

That this bill be now read a third time.

Bill read a third time and passed.