1 April 2003 Liquor Licensing—Dry Areas— Henley and Grange the SPEAKER (Hon
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HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY 2623 By the Minister for Consumer Affairs (Hon. M.J. HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY Atkinson)— Regulations under the following Act— Tuesday 1 April 2003 Liquor Licensing—Dry Areas— Henley and Grange The SPEAKER (Hon. I.P. Lewis) took the chair at Wattle Park 2 p.m. and read prayers. By the Minister for Environment and Conservation (Hon. J.D. Hill)— NUCLEAR WASTE STORAGE FACILITY Dog and Cat management Board of South Australia— (PROHIBITION) AMENDMENT BILL Report 2001-02 Regulations under the following Act— Her Excellency the Governor, by message, assented to the Water Resources—Far North Wells Area bill. By the Minister for Tourism (Hon. J.D. Lomax-Smith)— Regulations under the following Act— PRIVILEGES COMMITTEE Primary Industry Funding Schemes— Riverland Wine Industry Variation The SPEAKER: The requirement for a member to raise Langhorne Creek Wine Industry Variation a privileges complaint as soon as reasonably practicable after By the Minister for Administrative Services (Hon. J.W. the member has noticed the alleged contempt or breach of Weatherill)— privilege is relevant in deciding whether or not that matter Surveyors Australia, Institution of—SA Division—Report should have the precedence accorded to it as a matter of 2002. privilege. I regret that circumstances of the sitting last evening prevented me from providing the house with this CHILD PROTECTION, SPECIAL information before the house rose yesterday. However, the INVESTIGATIONS UNIT failure to raise a complaint as soon as reasonably practicable is in itself not a breach of privilege, provided that the failure The Hon. S.W. KEY (Minister for Social Justice): I does not materially affect the proceedings of the house. seek leave to make a ministerial statement. In the subject of the motion brought by the Leader of Leave granted. Government Business, the Minister for Government Enter- The Hon. S.W. KEY (Minister for Social Justice): The prises, I am not required to determine whether the member Department of Human Services through Family and Youth for Davenport failed to do so as soon as reasonably practi- Services and a network of foster carers is responsible for the cable, nor does it require me to determine whether any such exercise of child protection in this state. Critical decisions failure materially affected the proceedings of the house, but about the termination of parental rights and the placement of whether on the face of it there may be the possibility of the children in alternative care are subject to high levels of former, which then might give rise to the need to determine scrutiny and accountability through the Youth Court. whether or not the latter occurred. In the event, if he failed to However, many of the most vulnerable in our community let the house know when he first became aware of it, then it (such as adolescents at risk, young offenders, those under has to be determined whether that constituted an act of child protection orders and children with disabilities) have omission which materially affected the proceedings of the only limited ways of pursuing complaints or reviews of house. FAYS decisions. Where a complaint concerns an allegation I have to acknowledge that in respect of the first instance of abuse against an employee of FAYS or a volunteer, it is I will give the matter precedence and before I resume my dealt with through a special investigation by two senior seat. Should the house choose to move in the direction which FAYS social workers. Where a complaint involves a foster I suspect it might be inclined to, let me make it plain now that carer, an additional person from the Alternative Care Service the matter that might become the subject of that motion Provider is also involved. would not be referred in an orderly fashion and cannot In her report on child protection, ‘Our best investment’, therefore be referred to the committee currently sitting to Robyn Layton QC has expressed the view that such arrange- determine a question of privilege in relation to the matter ments lack transparency and independence. The report says relevant to the Minister for Environment and Conservation. that such serious investigations must have a high degree of Accordingly, if the minister wishes to proceed with the procedural fairness, that allegations need to be recorded motion, he may do so. centrally, and that FAYS should not be put in the position of The Hon. P.F. CONLON (Minister for Government both investigating and reviewing its own decisions. The Enterprises): With your leave, sir; is there a time limit? I review says: would like to reflect on what you have said to make sure I Having FAYS in a position of both investigating and reviewing understand it correctly. its own decisions leaves it significantly open to criticism of bias and/or cover-up. Certain allegations regarding inappropriate decision making in relation to whether to deregister foster carers have been PAPERS TABLED raised with this Review. A mechanism that provides a proper and fair process and which enables an independent review (appeal) of a The following papers were laid on the table: matter that is outside of FAYS must be considered as a matter of By the Attorney-General (Hon. M.J. Atkinson)— probity and fairness. Regulations under the following Act— Ms Layton recommends a three-tiered complaints investiga- Fences—Exempt Land tion and review process, the first tier of which is a local Rules resolution process and the third tier referable to the Ombuds- Legal Practitioners—Education and Admission man’s Office. Ms Layton also recommends as a second tier Council Rules the establishment of a Specialist Review and Investigation 2624 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY Tuesday 1 April 2003 Unit within the Department of Human Services. The unit did not, but they wanted me to read the documents in order would be separate from FAYS but would have authority to to bring down the former premier, John Olsen. access FAYS information regarding both complaints in Mr BROKENSHIRE: Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of relation to actions by FAYS as well as allegations of abuse order. or neglect for all children and young people in alternative The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Mawson has a care arrangements, including residential care and secure care point of order. by FAYS employees and volunteers. The unit would be Mr BROKENSHIRE: Given your recent instructions to staffed by people skilled in child protection. the house, I draw your attention to standing order 98. I am pleased to announce that the government will proceed The SPEAKER: I uphold the point of order. The Premier with setting up a specialist investigation unit initially for will come back to the substance of the question and not matters involving children in alternative care or residential debate the same. care through FAYS. At a later stage I would hope to extend The Hon. M.D. RANN: The simple truth is that there is the arrangement to cover children with disabilities for whom a Privileges Committee inquiry: let it proceed unfettered. It no formal order of care exists. I have asked Mr Peter looks as though there will be a Privileges Committee inquiry Bicknell, the General Manager of the Port Adelaide Central into the Hon. Iain Evans following the Speaker’s announce- Mission, to conduct consultation with the Alternative Care ment: let that proceed unfettered without playing games. If Advisory Committee, which he chairs. I have also asked him members opposite want me to reveal who was the senior to consult more broadly with organisations such as the Public member of the Liberal Party who leaked me those documents, Service Association and the South Australian Foster Care I am more than happy to testify on oath. Association about the procedures for such an investigation unit. I am hopeful that subject to further discussion with all interested parties the unit can commence operation in July DRIVER RESPONSIBILITY DAY this year. Mr O’BRIEN (Napier): Will the Premier inform the house on the latest statistics concerning young people and QUESTION TIME road accidents in South Australia, and will he say why he visited the Virginia raceway this morning? PRIVILEGES COMMITTEE The Hon. M.D. RANN (Premier): Today, I had great pleasure in opening a special driver responsibility day at the The Hon. R.G. KERIN (Leader of the Opposition): My Virginia raceway for about 1 000 students from 18 high question is directed to the Premier. Given the code of conduct schools in the northern suburbs. The event was organised and released by the Premier and the previous example of the run by the Elizabeth police and the Gawler Road Safety minister standing aside from the relevant portfolio responsi- Committee and aims to educate young people about road bilities in the only precedent for a Privileges Committee in safety and responsible driving. the state’s history, will the Premier now reconsider and stand Far too many young people are dying on our roads. In down the member for Kaurna in connection with his responsi- terms of road safety over the previous years, South Australia bilities for environment and conservation? is almost the worst in the nation. I believe that we are only The Hon. M.D. RANN (Premier): Perhaps members do marginally above the Northern Territory, and that is why we not realise what the Speaker’s judgment was just then in must put in place the toughest road safety measures; and terms of the privileges matter regarding the honourable those measures, of course, are being debated this week in the member—your colleague. Are you announcing that you are upper house. I spoke to high school students today about how standing aside your shadow minister during this process? I this government is making it tougher for them to get a notice that you did not stand aside John Olsen during the licence.