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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-09-21 Daily Xml
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Women's Leadership and Economic Security Strategy

Dr CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:59): Supplementary to the Attorney-General: what is the government doing to make parliament a safe workplace? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Dr CLOSE: A declared candidate for the next election has recently contacted members on this side of parliament indicating that she is concerned that this is no longer a safe workplace, having heard allegations—of sexual harassment, urination and public exposure—in the other place and having had the Premier refuse to investigate.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Planning and Local Government) (14:59): Let me start by saying that the exposure, publicly, in relation to the weaknesses in the equal opportunity law to ensure the protection of our workplace has been taken up by this government. We have had extensive reports prepared by the acting equal opportunity commissioner and, indeed, has done a separate one in relation to judicial officers. We have changed the law.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: We are introducing other laws to ensure that they are all consistent with those recommendations.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Deputy Premier will just resume her seat for a moment. The deputy leader has asked a question. I for one regard it as a question of substance and a matter of particular moment in the circumstances that we find ourselves in in recent times. Just like any other question, the deputy leader is entitled to hear the Deputy Premier's answer and, for the benefit of all members, the Deputy Premier must be heard in silence in order that that answer may be heard by all members, including me. The Deputy Premier has the call.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: It is important that we have had these inquiries, and it is important that as a government we take up the recommendations, and that's precisely what we have done. In addition, we have supported the parliament doing so. Indeed, sir, there is a committee of inquiry under your stewardship to now consider matters such as code of conduct and the establishment of a unit here in the parliament to ensure that, as a parliament, we do respect the significance and ensure the protection of those who are in this workplace—whether they are here full time, whether they come in on a part-time basis, whether they are our staff or whether they are employed here by the joint parliamentary committee.

They come in different types, and so that has to be accommodated. We accept that. But we have—for the first time that I know of and in the time we have been in the parliament—actually on this side of the house, in government, made sure that that has taken place.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: Of course, there are individual inquiries. I know the Leader of the Opposition has indicated he is going to have an inquiry in relation to the member for Light's electorate office. I don't know what has happened to that. It may be that he is doing other inquiries in relation to other electorate offices. He still hasn't answered the question as to whether the candidate for the next election—who was the authorised signatory of the most disgraceful racist campaign against the member for Elder in a prior election—is even going to stand as his candidate. But, no, they have done nothing. I am very proud of what we have done on this side of the house, and we will continue to action that.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Before I call the deputy leader, the member for Playford will leave for the remainder of question time in accordance with standing order 137A.

The honourable member for Playford having withdrawn from the chamber:

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the leader!

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