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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-02-17 Daily Xml
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Child Protection, Rice Inquiry

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:32): My question is to the Minister for Child Protection. Why hasn't the minister taken the time to meet with the Guardian for Children and Young People, given she received the Rice review over a week ago?

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Planning and Local Government) (14:33): I thought I had made it clear; perhaps I haven't. I commissioned the report. Mr Rice did not interview the guardian. The guardian has made a statement this morning publicly. I haven't received any correspondence, and I have asked my department to check whether anything has come in from her at this stage. I do regularly deal with Ms Wright over things such as OPCAT, the development of the international arrangements for the supervision of areas. I do have regular contact with her or her office as well.

There are overlapping areas of responsibility that the guardian has. I have made a decision, on the basis of the statement I read of Ms Wright this morning in raising a concern. I checked whether she had actually been interviewed. She wasn't. I think it is reasonable, having raised the issue, that she be brought in to contribute to, I would hope, the issue of the notification—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the leader!

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: —in the child protection department and any other department in which she has role. What is important at this stage is that we have noted what she has said this morning.

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I call the leader to order.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: I think it is important that she is the guardian. She has a statutory protection to report to this parliament without interference from any minister actually.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order, sir.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: After the Mullighan inquiry, that was a recommendation put to us.

The SPEAKER: The Deputy Premier will resume her seat. The member for West Torrens has a point of order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Standing order 98: the minister is now debating the question. The question was very specific to the minister: why hadn't she met with the guardian, given that she has had the report now for eight days? The Attorney-General is now debating the guardian's role. That's not the question we asked.

The SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order. The Deputy Premier has the call.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: Given those circumstances, yes, it has been already brought within the terms of reference of how we manage, as a government, the response to the Rice report. Even though she hadn't been party to the Rice report, we think, as a government, it's important that she be included. That opportunity will be given to her to assist us in relation to the Significant Incident Reporting Unit to be now headed by the Crown Solicitor's nominee, nominated today. That can get going, and she will certainly be part of that consultation.

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