News
The Government will put forward an expression of interest calling for education sites and trade industries to take the lead in establishing a new technical college in Adelaide’s western suburbs, fulfilling a 100-day commitment of the Marshall Liberal Government.
Acting Attorney General John Gardner has moved to reassure South Australians that Colin Humphrys remains in detention after today’s decision by the Full Court of the Supreme Court.
Mr BASHAM: My question is to the Minister for Education. Can the minister inform the house about the progress towards meeting the government's commitments to address truancy?
The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Minister for Education) (14:57): I am very grateful to the member for Finniss for this question. The member for Finniss shares the concerns that I and all members on this side of the house have, and I hope all members of the house have, for our students who are truant. We are ensuring that we do everything we can to get them back to school.
The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Minister for Education) (12:48): I am very pleased to have the opportunity to speak on the bill on behalf of the Attorney and close the debate today. I thank the members who have contributed to the debate: the members for King and Hurtle Vale for their extraordinary personal reflections, the member for Heysen for his detailed and thorough explanations about a number of the legal matters, and the members for Badcoe, Wright, Elder and Hammond for their contributions. I believe I have captured the gamut.
Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:16): My question is to the Acting Attorney-General. What representations has the South Australian government made to their federal colleagues about the Murray-Darling Basin Royal Commission injunction? When the royal commission was announced in 2017, federal assistant water resources minister and South Australian Senator Anne Ruston said:
The Commonwealth would not stand in its way, and neither [would] NSW or Victoria.
I'd like to think they'd cooperate, certainly the Commonwealth will cooperate, we [have nothing] to hide.
The SPEAKER: Before I call the minister, with such facts introduced I would expect quite a broad response. Minister.
The Marshall Liberal Government has delivered a significant improvement to the protection of children in South Australia with the passage of the Sentencing (Release on Licence) Amendment Bill.
The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Minister for Education) (15:51): Obtained leave and introduced a bill for an act to provide for preschool, primary and secondary education in this state, to provide for children's services, to constitute the teaching service in this state and for other purposes. Read a first time.
The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Minister for Education) (15:35): It is my honour every year as the member of the Morialta to honour and recognise the significant work of so many young people in the Morialta electorate as a part of my Morialta Citizenship Awards. The citizenship awards are an offer I make every year to all schools in Morialta. The awards comprise a prize of $100 per campus to a student identified by the school as demonstrating outstanding examples of citizenship and who is a role model for positive behaviours in the community and within the school, particularly for younger students. I give them a certificate at the end of the year. I mention their achievements in this speech every year so that their achievements can be recognised in the Hansard going forward.
Mr KOUTSANTONIS: Thank you, sir, for your protection. My question is to the Acting Attorney-General. How will the Marshall government respond to a petition on change.org that calls on the government to review the sacking of the Commissioner for Victims' Rights, Mr Michael O'Connell?
The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Minister for Education) (14:28): The Commissioner for Victims' Rights was not, to use the shadow minister's word, sacked. The Commissioner for Victims' Rights' term expired on 16 July. There was a merit-based selection process undertaken. The name of Bronwyn Killmier should be held in the highest regard by the people of South Australia. She has been a trailblazing police officer, one of our first female assistant commissioners of police.
