21 May, 2026
The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (14:46): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before addressing a question without notice to the Deputy Premier on the topic of prison privatisation.
Leave granted.
The Hon. R.A. SIMMS: The Adelaide Remand Centre is a high-security remand prison housing prisoners who have not yet been convicted or sentenced. The decision to privatise the operation of the ARC was justified by the former Marshall Liberal government, I understand based on cost savings and purported improved prisoner outcomes.
In March 2019, Serco was awarded a $115 million contract over a seven-year period to run the ARC. On 8 May, the South Australian government announced a deal to extend Serco's contract for another five years. This comes off the back of a scathing report from the McKell Institute, which was released in May, highlighting the systemic problems that undermine staff and prisoner safety and calling into question the governance and transparency of Serco's management of the ARC. To quote from that report:
Official data indicates that assaults at the ARC have increased dramatically in recent years. According to South Australian Government figures, assaults against correctional officers and prisoners at the facility have doubled over the past five years.
Staffing levels fell dramatically following privatisation—
I continue to quote from the report—
with daily officer numbers dropping from approximately 70 to around 20. This reduction reflects a deliberate cost-cutting strategy that has materially compromised staffing levels at the ARC.
The report goes on to reference a particular case where a prisoner was found in possession of 10 grams of cocaine, with a street value of roughly $3,000, after being transferred from the ARC to Yatala Labour Prison. This raises questions about the approach to contraband control and search procedures at the ARC. Again, to quote from the report:
Even more worryingly, a remanded prisoner escaped from the ARC in 2020, subsequently spending two days in the community before being captured.
My question to the Deputy Premier therefore is: why on earth did the Labor government renew this contract? What more needs to go wrong before Labor finally abandons Serco?
The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: I am sorry, the Hon. Mr Simms, are you directing that question to the Leader of the Government or to the minister responsible—
The Hon. R.A. SIMMS: The Leader of the Government.
The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: —the Minister for Correctional Services in the other place?
The Hon. R.A. SIMMS: But he is the Deputy Premier.
The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Yes. I am just trying to get a handle on the portfolio you want to address your question to.
The Hon. R.A. SIMMS: I would like to ask the question of him in his capacity as the Leader of the Government in this place and as Deputy Premier.
The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Fair enough. Then you will get the answer you deserve. I call the Deputy Premier.
The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Deputy Premier, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Arts, Special Minister of State) (14:49): I thank the honourable member for his question.
The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: I tried to help him.
The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I am not sure if the honourable member is aware, but there is a Minister for Corrections who has ministerial responsibility and to parliament for correctional services. As the honourable member pointed out, and as he conceded in his question, this is not a new privatisation. This is a contract extension that I understand came within the ambit of the original contract as a contract extension, and that is what has occurred in this case.
The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: I did try to assist the honourable member. Perhaps you might remember that next time.