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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-04-28 Daily Xml
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Condolence

Shanahan, Chief Supt Joanne and McNeill, Ms Tania

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:01): I seek your indulgence to make a statement about the tragic deaths, last Saturday, of police Chief Superintendent Joanne Shanahan and Ms Tania McNeill, who was one of my constituents in Dunstan. On behalf of all South Australians, I express my deepest sympathies and condolences to the families and friends of Joanne and Tania. The outpouring of grief following their deaths affirms how highly they were regarded and how much they will be missed by those who knew them.

They died on ANZAC Day, at a time when we were remembering the service and commitments of others to protect their fellow citizens. That is what Joanne Shanahan did during more than 38 years of distinguished service as a member of the South Australian police force, confirmed last year by the award of the Australian Police Medal. She became just the third woman to be appointed chief superintendent in our police force. She saw service as an acting assistant commissioner. She exemplified all the reasons why the South Australian police force has long enjoyed a reputation for being the most highly regarded in our nation by the people it serves.

As Commissioner Grant Stevens has said, Joanne had a passion for helping people and she cared about people. Her care and concern for her fellow South Australians was reflected in public statements that she made last year about the rising road toll. 'As a state and as a community, we can't go on like this,' Joanne said. It is therefore all the more tragic that Joanne died in circumstances she worked so hard to prevent. The deaths of Joanne and Tania serve as the strongest possible reminder to us that we owe more care to others when we are driving on our roads.

To the husbands of Joanne and Tania and to their children and other family members, we trust that it is of some comfort to know that the people of South Australia are grieving with you. We also thank all police, ambulance and other emergency services officers who attended the accident scene.

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:04): I also rise to speak about the tragedy that occurred on Saturday afternoon. South Australia's police family was genuinely hit by the crushing loss of Chief Superintendent Jo Shanahan APM and, equally, the South Australian community was shattered to learn of the news of Ms Tania McNeill.

Jo Shanahan commenced her career with SAPOL in 1981. She graduated from the academy in 1983 and was designated as a detective by 1992. Chief Superintendent Shanahan held a number of roles during her time in SAPOL, including in the Licensing Enforcement Branch, the Internal Investigations Section and also as the officer in charge at the Elizabeth CIB. It was during her time at the Elizabeth CIB that she managed and led the complex investigation into the state's largest criminal neglect and child abuse matter, otherwise dubbed by local media as 'the house of horrors'.

Her leadership in this field saw her hold the role of officer in charge of a local service area, the domestic violence investigation unit, as well as taking on a lead role in the Multi-Agency Protection Service, otherwise known as MAPS, arguably becoming one of the greatest achievements in her policing career and has served South Australia incredibly well. Her leadership role in this field saw her take responsibility as the officer in charge in other capacities as well.

Chief Superintendent Shanahan was integral to the establishment of the MAPS agency, playing a pivotal role in its development from an across-government project team in its concept through to its implementation. It is a fitting tribute that in this work she was appointed as an inaugural officer in charge of the Family and Domestic Violence Branch.

Chief Superintendent Shanahan's leadership was encouraged and recognised within South Australia Police, ultimately achieving Acting Assistant Commissioner level in recent months before recently receiving the Australian Police Medal, as referred to by the Premier. Jo Shanahan was also the recipient of the Most Outstanding Female Leader Award at the Australasian Council of Women and Policing Excellence in the policing awards in 2003.

I had the great privilege to meet Jo Shanahan during my time and tenure as the police minister. She was well regarded within SAPOL as being not just razor sharp but also incredibly committed and passionate about the work that she undertook. This is undoubtedly a devastating loss to the South Australian police force and her family.

On behalf of the South Australian Parliamentary Labor Party, I would like to pass on to Joanne's husband, Peter, and her two children our sincerest condolences. Similarly, for the family of Tania McNeill. No-one expects their family members to die in such a tragedy and in such sudden circumstances. This is truly a great loss to the people of South Australia. We thank Tania for being an outstanding citizen and particularly Jo Shanahan for her incredible service to the South Australian community. Her legacy lives large.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD (Gibson—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:07): I rise to join the statement of condolence at the passing of Detective Chief Superintendent Jo Shanahan and Tania McNeill.

Tragically, this ANZAC Day just past, Joanne's life was suddenly taken in a horrific crash at the intersection of Cross and Fullarton roads. Another woman, Tania McNeill, a mother aged 53, was also a victim of this accident and leaves behind grieving loved ones, including her husband, Cary, son, Bailey, parents and a sister. Detective Chief Superintendent Jo Shanahan leaves behind her husband, Peter, a former detective and now SA Police General Counsel, and two children, Nicholas and Eleni.

The shock felt by all is immense. For those members of her family, her husband and children, her friends and many colleagues at SAPOL, the pain must be overwhelming. The life of a woman who served her community with distinction as a proud member of the South Australian police was taken all too soon. A wonderful woman, wife, mother, friend and colleague, tributes have been flowing and flowers now lie at the site of the awful accident.

At times like these it is important to remember the things that matter, such as family. Joanne was the daughter of Greek immigrants. Her family was reportedly as proud as punch when she was accepted into the police force. The Greek Herald recently ran a story on Greek-Australian essential workers who are helping the country amid the COVID-19 crisis. In the article, Joanne urged people to follow the official directions and guidelines of the government for the good of the wider community. When asked how she copes with a stressful situation, she said:

The secret to coping in stressful and busy situations is to surround yourself with good people. I have a wonderful dedicated team around me and we all look out for each other. In tough times we all have a responsibility to be even more considerate of those around us and make sure they are supported.

I also have a wonderful Greek family to supply love, vegetables and eggs, all from the garden. We also share toilet paper when the need arises!

It is clear Jo had a great sense of humour. Jo touched the lives of so many in so many ways. Not too long ago, I stood alongside Jo when she was acting assistant commissioner and we pleaded with drivers to be safe on our roads. It is devastating that just a few months later she and Tania would become the victims of exactly the kind of dangerous behaviour that Jo was trying so hard to change. I would strongly urge again today that this message be heeded. Life is too precious.

Jo was a role model and a mentor to those she worked with at SAPOL. Joanne had a distinguished career, joining SAPOL in 1981. During nearly 40 years of her career, her work spanned multiple areas of policing, including patrols, the Sexual Assault Unit, the Criminal Investigation Branch, the crime training section, the Licensing Enforcement Branch, and Internal Investigations. In 2014, she became the inaugural officer in charge of the Family and Domestic Violence Branch. She was promoted to Chief Superintendent in 2017. Joanne was also just the third woman in the state's history to be appointed to that position.

Last night, in her memory, blue lights illuminated a number of venues across Adelaide, including the Entertainment Centre, Adelaide Oval, the Convention Centre, Town Hall and here at Parliament House. Saturday's crash came just days after four Victorian police officers were killed because of reckless driving. It is with the deepest sadness that we now farewell one of our own. As police minister, I would like to pay my respects and pass on my condolences to police commissioner Grant Stevens and the entire SAPOL family. May Jo's light shine on; may she rest in peace.

Mr ODENWALDER (Elizabeth) (14:11): Detective Chief Superintendent Joanne Shanahan was one of SAPOL's finest officers. Indeed, she was a woman who personified all that is good and famously good about South Australia Police. Our paths crossed many times and I knew her well enough to know that Joanne was a very good person and that she was an exemplary police officer. The best police officers I know have both a cool head and a big heart and Joanne Shanahan exemplified these traits, using her compassion and clear thinking to drive her work and contribute huge positive changes in policing.

Like most of us perhaps, I knew Joanne Shanahan best through her work in family violence, particularly her role in the implementation of the Multi-Agency Protection Service. Joanne took me through the MAPS several times in my capacity as a backbencher and then again as the shadow minister. She was always forthright and focused and, most of all, passionate about her work.

When I look back to my own time in the job and the general attitude towards the policing of family violence, things have changed a great deal in those 20 years and those changes were driven in very large part by Joanne Shanahan. It is impossible to quantify, of course, but I have no doubt that the changes driven by Joanne and others, including the current commissioner, have saved the lives of many, many women and children across this state, and will continue to do so.

I know how tight-knit the police family is and on Saturday evening, as news started to emerge about this terrible crash, it became clear to me just how respected and loved Joanne was. I now know that the police family are gathering around the Shanahan family and doing all they can to soften the blow. The President of the Police Association, Mark Carroll, was quoted in TheAdvertiser yesterday as saying

'Look after my family' is the simple but heartfelt request Joanne would have made of us and we will not fail her.

There are other voices, particularly across the domestic violence service sector for whom she did so much. I had a long conversation with Maria Hagias from Women's Safety Services this morning, who many of us here will know. Maria worked very closely with Joanne, knew her very well and I know she will not mind me conveying her thoughts; in fact, she wanted to be clear, as she said:

We need to all be committed to continuing Jo's legacy.

Her legacy was one of action: underpinned by partnership and compassion…and by one simple question—how can we make our state safer for women?

We do not know all the details yet and every new revelation paints a sadder and sadder picture. We now need the cool heads of major crash investigators to do their job thoroughly before we draw too many conclusions. But we need to harness our sadness and anger and say loud and clear, as Joanne did, that we cannot go on like this. My heart and my sincerest condolences go out to Peter and all of Joanne Shanahan's family and all those who knew and loved her. My condolences also go out to the family and friends of Tania McNeill, who also lost her life in this tragic crash on Saturday. May they both rest in peace.

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