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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-10-31 Daily Xml
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CHILD PROTECTION

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (14:54): My question is again to the Minister for Education and Child Development. If, as she stated yesterday, the minister's primary concern was the interests of the children, why did the minister not think it appropriate that parents of the school community be advised about the potential for their child to have been sexually abused?

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI (Hartley—Minister for Education and Child Development) (14:54): As the parent of a child attending this particular service, I would want to be satisfied that all steps necessary were taken to remove this person from association with children. I am advised, and I understand that the person did not return to the school, and did not undertake any further duties at the school—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: —from that time. We took active steps and it is our policy to take active steps to remove a person when they are subject to this arrest, or charge or allegation from their association with children. That is the most important thing. That is the most important thing and it was done. It was done. I clearly have come into this place with advice given to me in good faith and I have given it to you. That precipitated a different view of events on the part of SAPOL, and I have to say that I think SAPOL and Education and Child Development do a first class job working together in relation to this matter. I am not satisfied, and I want this independent inquiry to get to the bottom—

Mrs REDMOND: Point of order, Madam Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Point of order.

Mrs REDMOND: Standing order 98: the relevance of the minister's answer. The question was about the fact that parents of other children at that facility may well find that their children have been abused. Why didn't the minister think it was appropriate to let them know that that was potentially the case?

The SPEAKER: I cannot direct the minister to answer the question in the way that you want. The minister can answer the question as she chooses and we will listen to what she has to say.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: What ministers, of all persuasions, need to do in this case is to act on the basis of advice of experts because (a) you do not want to further harm—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! You will listen to the minister's answer or leave the chamber. Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: The three things that need to be balanced: you do not want to further harm the child in question—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Bragg will leave the chamber for 15 minutes.

The honourable member for Bragg having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: You do not want to jeopardise the prosecution, and I am advised that, in relation to this particular site, there are ongoing investigations, so that is very important for us to know. Of course, those two facts need to be balanced with the needs of the community. I understand that parents are upset about this. I do understand that, and that is what we will seek to balance. I am commissioning an independent inquiry to get to the bottom of the differing views. These are complex matters, but what I need to satisfy myself with, the most important thing, is that this man was taken away from our children, and he was.

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