Legislative Council Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1) 55 1 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Child Sex Offender Register Child Sex Offender Register The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD Legislative Council Child Sex Offender Register The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (14:53): Thank you, sir. The Hon. K.J. Maher Legislative Council Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Attorney-General Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector The Hon. K.J. Maher: Now this is how you do it. The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: Attorney, enough of the cheer squad. The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD Legislative Council The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD: I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking questions of the Attorney-General regarding child sex offender registers. Leave granted. The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD Legislative Council The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD: Just over a year ago, I asked the Attorney when state parliament could expect a bill to be introduced dealing with the public sex offender register, based on the Western Australian model, as per Labor's pre-election commitment at the last election. The Attorney-General stated in response: …in the not too distant future I would expect we will have a system proposed, and up and running in South Australia. It was a key election commitment… My questions to the Attorney are: 1.	Does such a system exist? 2.	If not, why is it taking so long to introduce a public sex offender register in South Australia? 3.	When will one finally be introduced as per Labor's commitment? The Hon. K.J. MAHER Legislative Council Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Attorney-General Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:54): I thank the honourable member for his question and for his interest in keeping South Australians safe. That was an election commitment that we are working on to fulfil. I suspect it will need legislation, but work continues on that. As the honourable member indicated, there is a public-facing system which has various levels that is operating in Western Australia, and I know we have had officials liaising with Western Australia to see what elements of that would work in a different jurisdiction. It is a different legislative environment in South Australia. That is something work continues on, and I hope we will have something as soon as possible but, as a minister, I recognise that my wishes and desires to have everything happen all at once are not always achievable. However, that work does continue. It is a commitment we intend to fulfill, and I suspect we will soon have the register set-up legislation before this chamber to provide for the indefinite detention of serious child sex offenders who are given jail time on a second occasion. These were both very significant election commitments aimed at keeping children safe from sexual predators. We have delivered on a number of other things, including things that the Hon. Connie Bonaros has brought before the parliament in relation to significant increases in a whole range of child sex offences: childlike sex dolls, keeping children safe from working with serious child sex offenders in the workplace. So yes, it is something I can confirm remains an election commitment and something work continues on, but work continues on keeping children safe from the vile monsters who prey upon them in a whole range of areas.