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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-09-27 Daily Xml
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Question Time

Child Protection Department

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:14): My question is to the Premier. Why did the Premier commit to establishing a new child protection department prior to the handing down of the Nyland royal commission report, when it was revealed at a briefing today that cabinet hasn't even signed off on what the new department's responsibilities will include?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:15): For the reasons we mentioned at the time that we made the announcement—that was, to ensure that the work that could take place in the preparation of the new agency could be well advanced—

Mr Knoll interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —by the time that we had the broader report that was handed down. The ambition was to make sure that we were able to take the initial planning for the new agency in a way that meant that it had a chance of being up and running so that we could get cracking with the implementation of the report.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: We also wanted to get on with the business of recruiting a new chief executive, so that chief executive could have some input into the response to the royal commission report and actually lead the new agency. There's not much point in having a new agency with a different leadership only to change that leadership halfway through.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: This is all pretty sensible stuff—basically, getting a report, getting a recommendation. In fact, I met with the royal commissioner and invited her to make an interim recommendation so that we could have the benefit of that recommendation so that we could act on it in advance of the royal commission's findings coming down. So, this is a fairly natural response to the orderly implementation of recommendations. I don't understand why the opposition is so confused about it.

Mr MARSHALL: Supplementary, sir.

The SPEAKER: Before we go to a supplementary, the member for Schubert has used up all his warnings and continues to interject. I call to order the members for Kavel, Morialta and Morphett. I warn for the first time the deputy leader, the member for Morialta and the member for Kavel, and I warn for the second and final time the member for Morialta. Leader.

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