Parliament will start investigating questions arising from the Debelle report within weeks.

Family First MLC Robert Brokenshire last night successfully put forward a motion to establish a select committee into the matters raised by the Debelle Royal Commission, which examined the handling of a sexual abuse case at a western suburbs school.

The motion was supported by all non-Government members.

The commission concluded the Education Department had failed in its duty to parents and to the Education Minister. Brokenshire argues that it raised further issues it did not have scope to cover.

The parliamentary committee will be able to compel Government staffers, public servants and others to appear, but it is up to the discretion of Ministers as to whether they will front the committee.

Premier Jay Weatherill says the parliamentary inquiry is a political exercise and he will refuse to appear before “some circus in the Upper House”.

The issue overshadowed a joint media conference yesterday with Weatherill and independent Senator Nick Xenophon, who say they will work together to pressure the new Federal Government to maintain support for Holden.

Weatherill said Justice Debelle had already carried out a forensic and detailed analysis of issue, and the upper house inquiry was “all about the upcoming state election”.

Xenophon, standing at Weatherill’s shoulder, said he believed the upper house inquiry should go ahead.

“The government are calling it a circus and political witch hunt, but they are wrong with that,” Brokenshire said.

“The committee is about general protection and what is child abuse; two what’s happening with Debelle recommendations and implementation of those; and three the issues revolving around state records and wiping of computers.”

Education Department chief Tony Harrison will not front the committee in relation to his appointment – which came after the delivery of the Debelle report – but could appear to explain what the department is doing to implement the report’s recommendations.

“Obviously there will be a broad range of witnesses following on from the Debelle inquiry, which was good, but limited to one case and obviously there’s a lot of questions to be asked and other issues to be addressed,” Brokenshire said.

“There would be a range of public servants and experts in IT that we would begin to request to attend.”

Brokenshire said committee would aim to put an interim report to parliament before it rises at the end of November.