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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2019-07-31 Daily Xml
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Liberal Party, Sexual Assault Allegations

Dr CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:17): Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Do you believe the allegations made by Ms Potter?

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General) (14:17): Again, I think the member is straying into an area which is potentially hypothetical, but I am happy to say this and repeat this for the benefit of the parliament, and that is that any allegation that is made of sexual harassment, assault, misconduct in the workplace, whether it is in this parliament, whether it is in our electorate offices, whether it is in other departmental offices, or any other workplace for that matter—and this is not something, sadly, if one reads the Equal Opportunity annual report each year, that is confined to government workplaces.

It is important for all of us, incumbent on all of us, to ensure that a person who raises these concerns is supported, including in the decision as to how and where they might prosecute that matter. I would frankly expect that the member for Port Adelaide would do the same in relation to anything that she was alerted to within the offices of members of the opposition.

We have a responsibility as leaders in the community. I have a direct responsibility as Attorney-General, and I know that the member for Port Adelaide, I would certainly hope and I think I would be confident in saying, would be available to ensure that these matters are followed up. We take this seriously, and I can tell you that the equal opportunity commissioner takes this seriously. I think that if we set the example in the community we have at least the beginning of a capacity to ensure that we minimise, at the very least, any conduct such as this in the future.

When these allegations are made, I think we should also have some respect for those who make the allegation and for whom they progress or prosecute the matter with. These are sensitive issues, and the last thing we want to do is impede them having the free will to be able to pursue the options that they see as most appropriate. They are sensitive matters. I can honestly say that, in the time that I have been here in the parliament but also as an employer in the outside world, it's not uncommon for this type of matter to be raised. I was very grateful for the establishment of equal opportunity law in this state, which I am proud to say was sponsored originally by former member for Bragg the Hon. David Tonkin and was the first in Australia.

The reason we have this type of law, the reason we have these protections, is to ensure that we have an avenue of redress, but also, if the conduct or circumstances are such that a criminal offence has occurred, we have a prosecuting and an investigative agency, namely, the police and/or the DPP, to take up those matters. I urge all members to ensure that if they become familiar with this they act on it in that manner.

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