Public Sector Executives

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (14:27): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Attorney-General about KPIs for public sector chief executives.

Leave granted.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: It was reported in The Advertiser that emergency department staff at the Riverland General Hospital, in my home town of Berri, were attacked by a violent patient who started throwing punches at them, held chairs and repeatedly hit entry doors until they were cracked, with no security guard on site. Nurses on that overnight shift on Sunday night were forced to call South Australia Police at 4am, whilst ducking punches and projectiles, and wait until they arrived and apprehended the man.

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Association (South Australia Branch) Chief Executive, Elizabeth Dabars, has been calling for the implementation of a 24/7 restraint-trained security guard at the Berri hospital. She said, and I quote:

Sluggish bureaucracy is to blame for a failure to implement the 10-Point Plan to End Violence and Aggression, which has been endorsed by the state government. We need action now—before our members are subjected to the next terrifying incident.

Ms Dabars has written to the Attorney-General, seeking his support in making occupational health, safety and welfare a key performance indicator for public sector chief executives. My question to the Attorney is: do you support the calls of Ms Dabars, and will you commit to making occupational health, safety and welfare a key performance indicator for public sector chief executives?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:28): The short answer is: yes, we are happy to look into it, and we are looking into it. It's something I have received correspondence about, but more than that, it was raised with me by Ms Dabars at a meeting I had with many union leaders. We have union round tables a couple of times a year, which I attend, and it was raised personally with me there.

Work health and safety is a critically important issue. We go to work and we expect to come home in the same state that we left in that morning. We think it's critically important. I think it's a very worthwhile thing to look into, and that's what we are doing. Here is a fundamental difference between us and the other side: if it had been the Liberal government under the Hon. Rob Lucas, I am sure it would have been very unlikely to have been looked into. In fact, the Hon. Rob Lucas might not have even known the name of the union leader he was referring to, as we know in here. He might not have even known their name.

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO: Point of order: we are going into debate rather than actually answering the question. Answer the question on what is a very important issue.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO: You are—for goodness sake.

The PRESIDENT: Sit down. Continue please, and then conclude.

The Hon. H.M. Girolamo: You're politicising what is an important issue.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I can understand how embarrassing it is and that they want to try to run protection when they don't even know the names of the union leaders they are referring to. As I have said, that's the stark difference between this side and that side. As I have said, I have had a meeting with the unions. I have had this raised in person with me. It's a stark difference to the other side and how it would have operated under them. It's given away completely by the fact that they don't even know their name.