South Australian Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (15:47): I was pleased to be able to attend that event today, too, where it was stated that it's attitudes of lack of respect for women that is the root cause of violence against women and that parliamentarians should stand together to condemn the attitudes that lead to domestic violence. Given the minister is responsible for the status of women portfolio:

1. Does she consider that comments of a man calling a woman 'a reckless, backstabbing lesbian', a 'patronising bitch' or a 'divorced slapper' are inappropriate?

2. Will the minister condemn such comments?

3. If it is found that a member of a government-appointed board has made such comments, will she call for the Premier to have that person removed?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (15:48): These matters have been taken on notice by the honourable Assistant Minister to the Premier.

The Hon. C.M. Scriven: Do you condemn them? Do you condemn those sorts of comments? They're outrageous comments. You should be condemning them without a second thought.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ms Scriven, the question was hypothetical, and I gave you a lot of latitude with the question. The minister is keen to answer. Allow the minister to answer.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: I would take the same attitude on these sorts of comments as I did last year when the former Speaker of the parliament, someone who has been named in honourable members' maiden speeches, made sexually inappropriate comments on Twitter to another member of this house and myself. There were other comments—and it's regrettable that today's event is being politicised in this way—but there were members, very senior members of the Labor Party, who refused, including the Premier—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Order! Let the minister answer.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: In that instance, very senior members of the Labor Party, the Premier at the time, were bystanders, and it wasn't until another honourable member and myself had to push and push that there was any form of retraction. This went on for quite some period—I think it was something like 48 hours—and the silence of members of the Labor Party was deafening. I will not be lectured by the Labor Party, who are utter hypocrites on these issues.