A few days ago I posted a blog asking the question “Will child safeguarding prevail in South Australia?”

The answer is a definitive no.

State Premier and Labor Leader Peter Malinauskas refused to allow his party members to vote as they saw fit. He chose to play politics rather than allow the democratic system to do its work. Instead of leading, he forfeited his responsibility in favour of point scoring with a small but powerful minority.

“I am not too sure if a parliamentary inquiry that would be highly political in nature and that would only seek to perpetuate the culture wars is the best way to do a proper examination of medical policy,” Mr Malinauskas said.

“These are questions of science in terms of best practice and medicine as distinct from a political forum for people to prosecute the culture wars which I think people know I’m not particularly keen on. 

“I would much rather any sort of examination of this to be done in a methodical policy-based way based on the science and best available medical advice.

“The conscience vote is a really precious tool within the parliamentary Labor Party.

“It is used sparingly. I am not aware of a precedent for a conscience vote for an Upper House select committee.”

Mr Pangallo said he had “never seen such a cop-out by a political leader”.

“For the Premier to say parliament has no place inquiring into this area is either utterly naive or disingenuous. I suspect the latter,” Mr Pangallo told The Australian.

Malinauskas knows full well that medical practitioners are not able to conduct the rigorous and necessary inquiries because it is so highly politicised.

In the UK and Nordic countries where it has already been investigated, the damaging ‘affirmation’ pathways have been halted. The evidence is readily available but Malinauskas and co don’t want that to be widely known.

It is staggering that they would prefer political point scoring with a minority rather than safeguarding for vulnerable children.