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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-07-24 Daily Xml
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Question Time

CHILD PROTECTION

Mr MARSHALL (Norwood—Leader of the Opposition) (14:01): My question is to the Premier. How is it possible for a person charged with seven counts of child sex offences to have his original bail conditions relaxed to drive a bus full of children interstate for five days as a gymnastics coach and team manager?

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Planning, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (14:02): This is a question which is a very important question. First of all, it needs to be made very clear to everybody concerned that the decision about bail is made by a court. The court makes that decision after hearing evidence and making a judgement that the judge or magistrate concerned is best placed to make. It is not for the Leader of the Opposition or anyone else to be second-guessing members of the judiciary about the way they apply the law.

The second point is, and I think it is one that is very important, that the very question that the Leader of the Opposition raises the issue about, if there was such alarm about this particular matter, given the fact that, as I understand the evidence that we have heard so far, that it came to the attention of the member for Unley on the 4th or thereabouts of July, and given the fact that, as I understand it from what the member for Unley has said in the last couple of days, the first public report of this matter occurred in this place yesterday for a purpose presumably attached to being in here, and given the fact that he did not spend any of that time—he did not contact the police about this matter at the time, it ill behoves—

Mr PISONI: Point of order: the minister is debating the answer.

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley is called to order for blatantly and deliberately obstructing the house with a matter that is not a point of order. If he does it again, I'll throw him out.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: As I was saying, the member for Unley (the person who has been asking a number of questions in this parliament of a number of people on this side, being quite particular in his complaints about allegations of failing to pass material) has been sitting on material for a fortnight rather than giving it to the police. As I understand his explanation, Mr Speaker, the explanation is: the reason he did not give it to the police is because he thought someone else was doing it. How ironic!

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