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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-11-16 Daily Xml
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Immigrant Detention

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Leader of the Opposition) (14:16): My question is to the Acting Premier. Have there been any murderers, sex offenders or criminals who have been released from detention into the South Australian community and, if so, how many? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: On Tuesday, the federal Labor immigration minister confirmed that there were multiple murderers and sex offenders amongst a group of more than 80 hardcore criminals set to be released into the community. On Wednesday, police commissioner Grant Stevens confirmed that some of these criminals would be released here in South Australia.

The Hon. J.K. SZAKACS (Cheltenham—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services) (14:16): I can answer this question and assist the leader in his inquiries. Of course, this is a matter that the federal government has been coming to terms with from an operational perspective. This was not a policy decision undertaken by the Albanese Labor government. This was a decision undertaken by the High Court of Australia overturning a precedent that was set some 20 years ago.

I should note that the commonwealth government did oppose the application that was made by the plaintiff in this matter. Subsequently, the High Court, in their prerogative, did decide against the commonwealth. There are, to the best of my advice, around 90 individuals who either have been released as a result of the High Court decision or will imminently be released. The commonwealth government has advised, as is proper, diligent and consistent with the law, that the decision of the High Court will be implemented and executed with a high order of priority. Again, I reiterate that this wasn't a policy decision of the commonwealth government, but we are mindful that the commonwealth are acting according to the High Court's new precedent.

As the minister, I was immediately in communication with the police commissioner who was also party to the immediate convening, by my understanding, of a cross-jurisdictional working party of Border Force led by the AFP to establish risk profiles that would be seen from the execution of the decision of the High Court.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Flinders!

The Hon. J.K. SZAKACS: Don't you want to know?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister!

The Hon. J.K. SZAKACS: Intellectual lightweights! High Court, what's that? What's the High Court?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Newland! Member for Elder! Member for Chaffey, you are warned.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Newland! Member for Elder!

The Hon. J.K. SZAKACS: It's Dennis Denuto over here!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Chaffey! Members to my left and right, order! The minister has the call.

The Hon. V.A. Tarzia interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Hartley! Member for Unley, you are warned, and the member for Hartley is warned for a final time.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.K. SZAKACS: You are an idiot. You are a total boofhead.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.K. SZAKACS: You are a total and utter boofhead.

The SPEAKER: Order, minister! Member for Wright, member for Newland and member for Elder! There is a point of order from the member for Morialta.

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Chaffey! We turn to the member for Morialta.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order, sir: I haven't checked the list of unparliamentary words lately, but the minister said that, 'You are an idiot.' I am pretty sure that is out of order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister, it might be straightforward to withdraw and continue your remarks.

The Hon. J.K. SZAKACS: Of course, I withdraw and apologise, sir. As I was reflecting, the attention span of those opposite has got two minutes into a four-minute answer on a very serious matter. I will take it that the question was a serious—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey is warned.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Hartley, you are on a final warning.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.K. SZAKACS: As I was continuing, sir, I will attempt to provide the leader with the best information available, that of the 90-odd who were to be released by the High Court decision, about five are based—

The Hon. V.A. Tarzia interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Hartley, this is your final warning.

The Hon. J.K. SZAKACS: About five we are projecting to be coming—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Minister, please be seated. The member for Hartley continues to interject after his final, final, final, final warning and will depart under 137A for the remainder of question time.

The honourable member for Hartley having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. J.K. SZAKACS: We are expecting, on intelligence, that about five of those individuals may choose to travel to South Australia. I am advised that none of those five have any outstanding criminal matters afoot. They are not before the courts, they have no outstanding orders against them and, under the ordinary application of the law, would not be subject to electronic monitoring.

I am very pleased to learn today from the commonwealth that they are investigating a law change that would enable jurisdictions to apply electronic monitoring in appropriate—

The SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.

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