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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-05-13 Daily Xml
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Youth Death, Port Lincoln

Ms HILDYARD (Reynell) (14:08): My question is to the Minister for Child Protection. Who lodged a missing person report about the two boys in care?

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order: there is a presumption in that question that offends standing order 97.

The SPEAKER: I uphold the point of order. I will give the member for Reynell an opportunity to rephrase the question.

Ms HILDYARD: My question is to the Minister for Child Protection. Who lodged a missing person report about the 11 and 12-year-old boys involved in the tragedy in Port Lincoln two days ago?

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: There is no need, Minister for Education. The question proceeds upon a premise of fact. The member for Reynell knows the way in which to go about the introduction of fact in accordance with standing order 97. I will give the member for Reynell a further opportunity.

Ms HILDYARD: My question is to the Minister for Child Protection. Was a missing person report lodged about the 11 and 12-year-old boys involved in the tragedy in Port Lincoln?

The Hon. R. SANDERSON (Adelaide—Minister for Child Protection) (14:09): As I will reiterate, I will not be discussing individual cases or circumstances. What I will say, Mr Speaker—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader!

The Hon. R. SANDERSON: —is there is a very—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Wright! Has the minister concluded her answer?

The Hon. R. SANDERSON: I was waiting for the noise to stop so that—

The SPEAKER: The minister is seeking the call.

The Hon. R. SANDERSON: There is a standard procedure for a missing person's report to be made, and if that was relevant I am sure that it would have been abided by. What I can say is that missing children has been a long ongoing issue, not only in South Australia but nationwide.

These children are from complex, trauma backgrounds. They have had a very difficult start to their life, and many of them were running away from home when they were with their biological parents, and many of them continue to do so in care. We are addressing that issue, and in fact my department is currently convening a round table of key stakeholders and experts, including SAPOL, to discuss ways to keep vulnerable children and young people safe when they go missing.

We are delivering on our commitment to embed a therapeutic approach into service delivery through our Sanctuary model. In February 2019, Dr Prue McEvoy, an experienced child and adolescent psychiatrist, joined my department. Dr McEvoy presides over the complex case review panel for those at significant risk. The complex case review meetings assist in the ongoing planning for children and young people in care with complex and specialised needs, providing an escalation pathway when required. These complement the Interagency Therapeutic Needs Panel pilot project developed in partnership with the Department for Health and Wellbeing.

I will continue to receive briefings from my chief executive on this topic and will always be looking for ways to continue to improve the safety of children and young people in care. The department is convening a round table of key stakeholders and experts on 18 May, which includes SAPOL, the Guardian for Children and Young People, SA Health and NGO representation to discuss ways to keep vulnerable children and young people safe when they go missing, often running home to their families.

The SPEAKER: Before I call the member for Reynell, I call to order and warn the member for Wright and I call to order the member for Hurtle Vale.

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