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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-02-20 Daily Xml
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Member for Waite

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens) (14:45): My question is to the Premier. Has the Premier instructed his party room to immediately hand over any information they may be aware of of a criminal nature regarding the member for Waite to South Australian police?

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General) (14:45): Can I just clarify this for the house's benefit and the member. He knows, and I think everyone here in the house now knows, that there is a police investigation underway—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens is warned.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: —and that that is a matter that is ongoing. Indeed, you, sir, have made statements about certain activity that you have suspended in light of that. The importance of that for the house is to ensure that we understand our statement of principles, which is to ensure that we recognise that other agencies—courts and the police—who undertake their job are not impeded by even—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: Privilege.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: The member raises the question of privilege. It's more in the breach than the observance, I think, that he has done in this house in relation to that. I'm sorry for answering that interjection.

The SPEAKER: Could you please withdraw that, Deputy Premier? Could you withdraw that last part? That would help me greatly.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: I'm happy to withdraw—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: That's three apologies in three days.

The SPEAKER: Member for West Torrens!

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: —any concern that the member would have for asserting that breach of privilege was—

The Hon. A. Piccolo: Withdraw the comment, not the concern.

The SPEAKER: Member for Light, catch up.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: —more in the breach than the observance. I'm happy to withdraw that.

The SPEAKER: Thank you.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: The important matter now is that the police are seized of the matter. They are looking at it and should—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader is on two warnings.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: —anyone in this parliament be asked to assist in their inquiries, and they have any concerns whatsoever about that, obviously they can obtain their own legal advice in relation to that. I would urge all members, in the circumstances where there is any police inquiry, that, should they be concerned about incriminating themselves or in any other way, they have their own advice but that in the meantime we do everything in this house to support that inquiry and to assist them in their work.

That includes being not just respectful but recognising that statements we might make in this house may even inadvertently cause some difficulty in that regard. Let's be reminded of what our obligation is here. Let's be reminded that, when matters are either sub judice or under investigation, we don't do something to prejudice that.

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