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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-02-07 Daily Xml
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Ministerial Statement

White, Mr P.

The Hon. A. MICHAELS (Enfield—Minister for Small and Family Business, Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs, Minister for Arts) (16:15): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. A. MICHAELS: It is with great sadness that I rise to acknowledge the tragic death of retired Commissioner for Consumer Affairs, SAPOL assistant commissioner, and former Northern Territory police commissioner, Mr Paul White APM, on Sunday 15 January this year. Paul was highly respected by both SAPOL and the Northern Territory Police, as well as the South Australian public sector more broadly. He will be remembered for his leadership, both in policing and right across the community.

He started as a cadet with the South Australia Police in 1968 and spent most of his career as a detective held in very high regard. He held a number of executive positions as assistant commissioner from 1997, with the most prominent being when he was appointed Assistant Commissioner of Crime Service.

Paul's professionalism and commitment to policing was recognised when he was awarded the Australian Police Medal for distinguished service in 2000. In 2001, after 34 years with SAPOL, Paul joined the Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services as their commissioner. After serving as Northern Territory police commissioner, Paul returned to Adelaide and became the South Australian Liquor and Gambling Commissioner in October 2009.

A champion of continuous improvement and cultural change, he faced an enormous challenge to deliver the merger of the former Office of Liquor and Gambling Commissioner and the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs in 2011-12 to form the present-day Consumer and Business Services. As a result of this merger, Paul assumed the additional roles of Commissioner for Consumer Affairs, Commissioner for Prices and Commissioner for Corporate Affairs.

It is a privilege to speak about his significant contribution to the protection and provision of services to consumers, businesses, licensed traders and residential tenancies in South Australia. At the forefront, Paul was devoted to minimising community harm, particularly the introduction of measures that closely reflected social values and expectations. During his five years as commissioner, Paul delivered a number of significant achievements, including:

the introduction of a general code of practice, which for the first time in South Australia committed the licensed liquor industry to mandated risk-based operational and harm mitigation practices associated with the excessive or inappropriate consumption of alcohol;

the introduction of a Late Night Trading Code of Practice for late-night licensed premises, which contributed to a significant decrease in alcohol-related harm in the CBD by addressing excessive consumption of alcohol and minimising social and economic harm on the community;

the implementation of a new class of small venue liquor licence to utilise and reinvigorate Adelaide's smaller laneways to attract people to the heart of the city, the success of which was clearly demonstrated during recent major events;

the implementation of online services relating to occupational licensing, Births, Deaths and Marriages, residential tenancy bonds and liquor licensing, including the online registration of a birth—which was an Australian first; and

the introduction of significant changes to residential tenancies aimed at providing a fair balance of rights and responsibilities for all parties to a tenancy agreement.

Paul also had a strong focus on education, particularly in relation to vulnerable consumers to empower them with the information and the confidence to assert their rights. Initiatives included the publication of a consumer guide for older South Australians, the issue of 'do not knock' stickers to stop unwanted contact from door-to-door salespeople, and resources to help young Indigenous consumers avoid consumer pitfalls, including with mobile phone contracts.

Paul was highly respected by his colleagues and will be remembered for his leadership and protecting the community. On behalf of the Premier, the Minister for Police and the South Australian government, I extend our deep condolences to Paul's wife, Cynthia, his children, Darren and Michelle, and his family, friends and colleagues.

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