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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-06-18 Daily Xml
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Child Protection Screening

Ms REDMOND (Heysen) (14:38): My question is to the Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion. Will the minister or her department pay compensation to my constituent, a bus driver, who has been without a wage since 10 June due to her department's failure to process his application for the necessary clearance to work with children?

My constituent has been a bus driver for some years. On 7 April this year he lodged the necessary application which was a renewal for clearance to continue to work with children. This was as soon as he received the relevant notification. More than two months later in the absence of the clearance, even though he has never committed any offence which would put his ability to work with children in doubt, he has been required to cease driving the bus until the clearance certificate is received. Numerous contacts by my office with the minister's office have failed to overcome the delay and my constituent has now not earned any wage since 10 June.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister Assisting the Minister for Planning, Minister Assisting the Minister for Housing and Urban Development) (14:39): I am not quite sure whether the member for Heysen is referring to a bus driver who is engaged by one of the three bus contractors who drives Adelaide Metro fleets—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader is warned.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: I realise that the lack of detail provided in the member for Heysen's question is of some concern to the deputy leader. We have taken—

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order, Mr Speaker: the question was—

The SPEAKER: No, if the deputy leader continues, she will be removed under the sessional order. I am not having another bogus point of order.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: As the minister and I have been at pains to make clear, two different employee groups, whether they are bus drivers, whether they are taxidrivers, or indeed whether they are engaged in other work which requires the different levels of clearance to give the public the level of safety and comfort that they would expect, it is an important risk mitigation measure. The minister has certainly improved and provided additional resources into her department, and the transport department has also made it very clear—

Mr Pengilly: All ministerial advisers need it.

The SPEAKER: The member for Finniss is called to order.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: —to the different driver groups about how they can also assist in the process by making sure that their applications are being presented in a timely—and I must say, Mr Speaker—

Ms Redmond interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Heysen is warned.

Mr Knoll interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Schubert is called to order.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: As many members on both sides of the chamber would be aware, there have been instances certainly at the outset of this issue where there have been clearances which have been delayed. There have also been instances when people have contacted their local members of parliament, they have made assertions that—

Mr Treloar interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Flinders is called to order.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: —they have done everything they possibly can to make sure—

Ms Redmond interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Heysen is warned a second and final time.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: They have done everything they can to try to get their application in on time and, of course, when either my office or the minister's office or our respective departments have investigated the matter, unfortunately, on occasion, that has not proven to be the case. Whether that is the case in this instance or not, that will only be borne out once this matter is investigated. I am sure both I and the minister responsible are happy to investigate this particular matter if the member for Heysen can provide sufficient detail to us.

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