House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-03-09 Daily Xml

Contents

Question Time

Child Protection

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:20): Has the government sought any interim recommendations from the royal commissioner regarding where the child protection agency should be located?

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice Reform, Minister for Planning, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Child Protection Reform, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for Consumer and Business Services, Minister for the City of Adelaide) (14:20): Mr Speaker, no we don't, and it would be—

Mr Marshall: Why?

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Why don't we? Because Commissioner Nyland has not chosen to provide us with an interim recommendation at this point in time. However, I would be happy to say to members present today that the minister and I did actually have a meeting with the commissioner this morning, and—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: We had a meeting with her this morning and I did convey to her the notion that, so far as the government was concerned, if she did wish to offer any sort of interim recommendations or give us an early heads-up as to where she was going, then that would be beneficial, because we could commence the process of considering whatever it was that she was recommending sooner rather than later.

I have left her with that thought. I think, judging from her response, she saw some merit in that. If she came to a clear decision about something and it was inevitably going to be in her report, and she got to that point, I think she sees the wisdom in sharing that with us at the moment, as a recommendation. But, at this point in time, as to the question asked: no, we don't, but I have certainly encouraged her to feel free to do that.