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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-07-21 Daily Xml
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Question Time

Disability Services

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:26): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Human Services regarding disability services.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: On Sunday 19 July, The Advertiser reported comments from the chair of the government's disability task force. The chair was talking about Integrity Care having dozens of unscreened workers and called for its immediate closure. The article quoted the Hon. Kelly Vincent as saying:

Every day it remains open, the government is showing other agencies they can get away with this.

She further went on to say:

If this isn't what it takes to get deregistered, then what the hell does it take?

The Labor opposition called on the government many weeks ago to shut down Integrity Care. My questions to the minister are:

1. When was the minister first advised that Integrity Care may have had dozens of unscreened workers providing care to vulnerable South Australians?

2. What exactly did the minister do, and when, after being advised that Integrity Care may have dozens of unscreened workers?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (14:28): I thank the honourable member for his question. Once again, the Labor Party comes in here and demonstrates that they have very little concern for the proper processes that have been established for a very long time in terms of investigations. They also continue in the media to demonstrate that they don't actually understand how the systems work, how the systems operated when they were in government and how they continue to operate and which part of the government is responsible for various aspects.

It is very clearly the responsibility of the Quality and Safeguards Commission to regulate disability services providers, as has been the case since South Australia reached full transition. The responsibility of the Department of Human Services is to provide screenings to organisations or individuals who apply for them. The penalties that are associated with organisations that are not getting their staff screened rests with the NDIS (Practice Standards—Worker Screening) Rules 2018 made under the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013.

There are a number of investigations taking place at the moment. I have been asked about these matters before and it would be inappropriate for me to provide details in the public domain, as much as people have an interest in this matter. I can completely understand that. The state government has been fully cooperating with all the investigations, whether they be the Quality and Safeguards Commission or its own inquiry.

We have had hearings this morning from the retired Federal Court judge Alan Robertson and a number of those hearings that have taken place since yesterday and again today have been held in private for the very specific reason that matters relating to these things need to be provided to the investigative processes so that the appropriate course can take place, rather than prejudice any of the particular outcomes. There is also a SAPOL inquiry in place.

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