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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-10-30 Daily Xml
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CHILD PROTECTION

Mr PISONI (Unley) (15:19): My question is to the Minister for Education and Child Development. Can the minister confirm that the Minister for Education's office or the Department for Education did not apply pressure to the western suburbs governing council to keep the conviction of Mark Christopher Harvey, the director of the out of school hours care, for the rape of a child in his care, away from the parents of the school?

The SPEAKER: Minister, did you understand that question?

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI (Hartley—Minister for Education and Child Development) (15:20): Would you mind asking the member to repeat the question, please?

The SPEAKER: Yes, I had trouble following the question also.

Mr PISONI: The question is: can the minister confirm whether her office or her department applied or did not apply pressure to the western suburbs governing council—

Members interjecting:

Mr PISONI: I'll start again, with these interjections, Madam Speaker.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr PISONI: We've got a convicted paedophile in school and the Labor Party is laughing about it over here.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Thank you.

Mr PISONI: Laughing about it, Madam Speaker.

The SPEAKER: This is not an opportunity to debate. Will you please ask your question?

Mr PISONI: Can the minister confirm that the Minister for Education's office or her department did not apply pressure to the western suburbs governing school council to keep the conviction of Mark Christopher Harvey, the director of the out of school hours care, for the rape of a child in his care, away from the parents of the school?

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: I thank the member for repeating that question. Clearly, this is an incident that arose in late 2010, so I have no choice but to take that question on notice, but is the member suggesting that that is something that should have occurred? So, I am very happy—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: I am very happy to take this question on notice.

The SPEAKER: Order! I do not think that was a point of order. Minister, I did not hear the last bit of your answer. You were coming back, I think you said.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: I reiterate the facts as they appear to me. The situation arose in late 2010, so it's two years ago. I am very happy to take that question on notice.

Mr Pisoni: How many other victims are there?

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: I think the most important thing here is that we act on the advice of SAPOL and we act in the best interests of children.

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