Department for Communities and Social Inclusion, $1,090,488,000

Administered Items for the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion, $195,310,000

Department for Health and Ageing, $3,654,825,000

Membership:

Ms Chapman substituted for Ms Sanderson.

Minister:

Hon. Z.L. Bettison, Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers.

Departmental Advisers:

Mr T. Harrison, Chief Executive, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Mr A. Thompson, Executive Director, Financial and Business Services, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Ms F. Mort, Director, Office for Women, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion..

Ms N. Rogers, Director, Business Affairs, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Ms T. Stephenson, Manager, Strategic Coordination, Business Affairs, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

The CHAIR: Welcome back, minister. You are now appearing before us in your capacity as the Minister for the Status of Women. I declare the proposed payments open for examination, and I refer members to the Agency Statements, Volume 1. Minister, would you make an opening statement, if you wish and introduce your advisers.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I would like to introduce, to my left, Tony Harrison, Chief Executive, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion; to my far left, Andrew Thompson, Executive Director, Financial and Business Services; and to my right is Fiona Mort, Director, Office for Women. As the new Minister for the Status of Women in South Australia, I am proud of the broad range of initiatives that are improving the lives of women in this state.

As minister, my role involves advocating for, and promoting, programs and initiatives that seek to increase equality for women in workplaces, the home and our community. I also lead whole-of-government policy responses to violence against women under South Australia's A Right to Safety policy and the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children. As part of this work, I am a member of the national women's safety ministers' forum which oversees the national plan.

In this key area, I work alongside the Premier, who has overall leadership in our government's response and has a particular interest in the role of men in preventing violence against women. I also work closely with the Attorney-General who leads legislative change to support the safety of women and their children and the South Australian police, who uphold relevant laws to help women and their children stay safe. I take a lead role as Chair of the chief executive's A Right to Safety (ARTS) group.

On 30 July 2015, the South Australian government launched Achieving Women's Equality, acknowledging the importance of women's participation in all aspects of life. Achieving Women's Equality is the key policy driver to achieving equality in South Australia and sets out action in three areas: improving women's economic status, increasing women's leadership and participation, and improving women's safety and wellbeing.

Action to improve women's economic status is further set out in the women's economic empowerment blueprint Investing in Women's Futures, released by the Premier and I on International Women's Day this year. Recognising that women are underrepresented in senior leadership roles, in March 2016, the government launched a new strategy for increasing women's leadership in the public sector, Gender Equality in Leadership: a Strategy for Gender Equality and Leadership in the South Australian Public Sector.

The state government also continues to take strong action to address violence against women with a range of new and expanding initiatives. Most recently, the Attorney-General released the domestic violence discussion paper. The paper seeks the views of the public on important areas for potential reform, including the model for a domestic violence disclosure scheme in South Australia.

As well as this, this government continues to support and contribute to the work undertaken as part of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage all interested groups and individuals to consider the domestic violence discussion paper and provide feedback on this important document.

Ms CHAPMAN: I have a brief opening statement. I was very disappointed to read in this year's budget of the minimalist contribution in fact by the government towards the treatment of both victims and perpetrators in respect of domestic violence. I note the Treasurer announced $683,000 over four years to provide some expansion of the Multi-Agency Protection Service—it is a pittance.

Secondly, there was provision over four years of $1.269 million to deal with an allocation for sharing of information in respect of domestic violence orders and, finally, $2.4 million in the Corrections budget in respect of all violent offender programs in the prisons. This is scant in respect of the contribution that is necessary, and for the minister to, I think, be seduced by the application and announcements of the government generally and the Attorney-General, in respect of this area, is close to head in the sand. It is very disappointing—

The CHAIR: Member for Bragg, I am allowing you a little latitude. This is an opening statement. The minister does not need to respond to these allegations.

Ms CHAPMAN: No, I am making an opening statement. The government is able to find $25 million to implement a new planning system in one year and $22 million for climate change in the CBD. I am not quite sure how much sea-level flooding we are going to have in Rundle Street, but compare this to the amount of money allocated for the most pressing and most dangerous situation for women and children in this state.

For the minister to say to the committee that she is pleased by the Attorney-General's announcement that he is going to have another conversation with the people of South Australia by issuing an issues paper which had been promised by the Premier in November last year, and recently announced with no funding available to it, is very, very concerning. I would ask the minister, I would urge the minister, in dealing with this issue, to remember that there are always pressing submissions being put by the ministers next to her in the pressure for money but, to have another discussion paper when we have had the select committee report to this parliament in April this year, and none of those initiatives have been funded in this year's budget, is very concerning.

The CHAIR: It was a standing committee. It was the Social Development Committee.

Ms CHAPMAN: A standing committee. I did not mean to be disrespectful to the committee, but it was a very important, comprehensive inquiry, and then nothing. So, I am concerned, but I will ask, in the first instance, has the Office for Women or the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion calculated the cost to implement any or all of the recommendations in the Social Development Committee's inquiry into domestic violence that was presented in April?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: The work of the Social Development Committee was incredibly thorough, and I welcome their report. We will be looking to respond to that report and looking across government at how to respond to that. I am looking at the DV discussion paper, looking at the ways forward and the different areas that were raised in that, and I will be responding before the end of the year.

Ms CHAPMAN: What I have asked, though, minister, is whether your department has done any costing of the estimates to implement those recommendations? I accept that the government may reject some of them, but have you done any of them and, if so, what does the costing indicate?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I am not in a position today to talk about that costing. Obviously, we will be looking at the different areas that would impact on the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion and put that into consideration when we respond.

Ms CHAPMAN: Are you aware of any?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: At this point in time I am not in a position to give detailed information about those costings.

Ms CHAPMAN: Are you going to wait for the further issues paper consultation before you make any announcements as to what the government might do in respect of that standing committee recommendation?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: No, that is not my intention.

Ms CHAPMAN: In respect of your commitment from the Premier and the Attorney-General with regard to implementing across-government support, as identified on page 98, to the agencies and departments in their commitment to ensuring domestic violence is not perpetuated in the workplace, how many of the departments and agencies have you supported to achieve White Ribbon accreditation, which is a program supported by the Equal Opportunity Commission? If it is not all of them, can you identify which agencies have either not done it yet or refuse to do it?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: In March 2015, 11 departments commenced the White Ribbon accreditation process and all are now accredited. In November 2015, a further nine departments commenced the accreditation processes. The processes were completed and agencies advised of their accreditation status by 28 February 2017.

Ms CHAPMAN: So, I am not sure, are there any that have not yet?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: We have 20 government departments and agencies that are participating in the accreditation process.

Ms CHAPMAN: I understand that.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Some of them are not complete—11 have been completed.

Ms CHAPMAN: Does that include all of the agencies: Renewal SA, SA Water, government instrumentalities, or just the departments?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: As we are informed, 11 departments have received their accreditation. We know that nine others are working towards it.

Ms CHAPMAN: I am asking about the agencies and public corporations of the government.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I will have to take that on notice, about those details.

Ms CHAPMAN: Are you aware if any of them have done it, or have they not been asked to do it?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I am confident that we have a focus on this and a commitment to it. I am going to take it on notice to follow-up those individual areas that you specified. As I have notified you, we would expect 20 agencies to be completed by February next year.

Ms CHAPMAN: I refer to page 99, Lead implementation of the National Outcome Standards for Perpetrator Interventions. This is a national program. Is the state government making any contribution to the funding of this? The commonwealth is putting in $4 million, I note.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: My understanding is that the Office for Women is leading the implementation for that funding and providing the human resources for its role here in South Australia.

Ms CHAPMAN: But not actually putting in any money?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Not at this stage. I might add that the role of perpetrators and our support of perpetrators is an area of interest of mine. I think that we are actually just at the start of understanding how we are going to prevent domestic and family violence. We cannot do that without having that discussion about perpetrators, and how we support perpetrators is a key part. I look forward, in the near future, to detailing further about where we can go. As you have pointed out, in the corrections system, there are already some support programs about the perpetrators, but I do think we have more to go in that area.

Ms CHAPMAN: This is just identifying a national outcome standard so we can measure it and see whether programs work and whether we are improving anything. When do you expect that to be implemented?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: My understanding is that will be implemented over the next two years. We are also facilitating the expansion of programs about perpetrators by supporting ANROWS (Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety). It is a research agenda based on evidence that contributes to policy and practice development and part of the aim for that research is improving the evidence-base on perpetrator interventions.

Ms CHAPMAN: Is that what you call the Third Action Plan at page 99?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: My understanding is that it is part of the Third Action Plan.

Ms CHAPMAN: Apart from doing a standards assessment, which can then hopefully be implemented across Australia, and doing some more research, is there any money going in from the Office for Women in respect of this area. That appears to be all commonwealth funded.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Let me detail some of the areas: there is $7.8 million over four years for the implementation of Intervention Orders (Prevention Of Abuse) Act 2009. Under this initiative, funding has been provided for DCSI in 2016-17 for the Women's Safety Contact Program, to provide support to women who have an intervention order in place and whose ex-partner has been referred to the court-mandated perpetrator program for ex or current partner through the OARS program.

We have also contributed $102,500 in 2016-17 for the Aboriginal Men's Violence Intervention Program, which provides a specialised response to Aboriginal men who are perpetrators of violence towards women, and it works in collaboration with the Aboriginal Women's Safety Contact Service to improve the safety of Aboriginal women and their children. This service is delivered by Kornar Winmil Yunti.

Ms CHAPMAN: And the Third Action Plan, identified at page 99, was supposed to be released mid 2016. We are now in August, has it been released? If not, when do you expect it to be released?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: My understanding is it was delayed due to the recent federal election and it is due to be released after all states and territories sign in late October.

Ms CHAPMAN: Why was it published in the budget papers to be released in mid 2016. We knew that we were having a federal election four months ago.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: My understanding is that was the indicative date that was given.

Ms CHAPMAN: Alright, anyway, October we can expect it?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Yes.

Ms CHAPMAN: In respect to the level of support in the court systems, this is what was trialled and now is to be expanded, what actual additional support is going to be offered? How many victims will receive that support and is this initiative ongoing or just another one-off payment? This is page 98; this was one of your highlights.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: The name of the support service is the Women's Domestic Violence Court Assistance Service. It provides a greater level of support with the court system for victims of domestic violence by assisting women deal successfully with the legal system. The advice I am given is that year to date the total number of women provided with advice or assistance relating to intervention orders is 331. That is to March of this year. We expect it will be about 400 people. There were 59 women represented in court up to March of this year. There were 57 women who applied directly to the court for an intervention order, and there were 19 women assisted with tenancy issues.

Ms CHAPMAN: Are they only represented in respect of applications for intervention orders?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: My understanding is that that is the focus of this support.

Ms CHAPMAN: So they cannot just go and get advice on any other domestic matters?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: As you can see, people were helped with tenancy issues.

Ms CHAPMAN: Yes.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: That was an issue. Obviously I would take that into consideration when we look at it.

Ms CHAPMAN: What was the increased level of support? Did you have half a million last year and a million this year? What was the thing you did last year that was increased; what was the amount?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: My understanding is that this program started on 1 July last year, so this is the first full year that it has run.

Ms CHAPMAN: How much was the budgeting for last year?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: It was $346,000.

Ms CHAPMAN: Was it all spent?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Yes, it was, and the budget for this year is $353,000.

Ms CHAPMAN: Is it ongoing or was it just another one-off?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: It is ongoing program. It was part of our Taking a Stand: Responding to Domestic Violence. As you might recall, part of the Coroner's recommendations were about how we can support people more effectively. I would just like to note on record that 80 per cent of women who used this service reported a greater level of confidence with their intervention order. I think this is a key thing that we need to continue to support.

Ms CHAPMAN: Which is why it is more disappointing, minister, that this is not an ongoing funded program.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: It is an ongoing funded program.

Ms CHAPMAN: You have trialled it; it is one year and you have another year's funding.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: It is in the forward estimates.

Ms CHAPMAN: For every year?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Yes. It is delivered by the Victim Support Service, and I would like to thank them for the work that they do in this area.

Ms CHAPMAN: Indeed. The minister is aware that there is a Victims of Crime (Fund and Levy) which, if you have been following the rest of the committee evidence from the Attorney-General, will have some $370 million in it (estimated) in four years' time. It is accumulating a massive amount of money each year. We raised this last year and the year before. Is there anything you have put to the government to enable access to some of that fund to deal with domestic violence victims, advertising campaigns, advice to perpetrators or anything in respect of the use of some of that money, hopefully to minimise the recidivist actions in respect of domestic violence; and, if so, could you advise the committee what it is you have done?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: As I am advised, both the court assistance service that we have just detailed and the Family Safety Framework and the Victim Support Service's support for the Family Safety Framework is out of the victims of crime fund.

Ms CHAPMAN: Yes, but that has always been the case. What I am saying to you, minister, is: now that we have a new regime for victims of crime entitlements which—I think it is fair to say, the explanation the government gave as to them having to work out how much money was going to disappear out of the fund when these new more generous payments were given to victims—has now been implemented for a year and we still have an ongoing and an anticipated major net contribution to that fund, now already over $200 million, closer to $400 million by 2020. So, clearly, even the government acknowledges that with the new system in place there is plenty of money there. Having got over that lump, and the first year of claims under the new system, if you have not made any application to government for the release of those funds, will you?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I do not think this is the appropriate forum for me to talk about bids that I would have made within a budget context. However, I do feel that we have addressed at a particular point in our culture the understanding that domestic violence is not acceptable. As we endeavour to have both legislative policy and cultural change we need to invest in that. Now, we have made investments. Do we need to make more? I believe that we do, and I will take that into consideration as we move forward.

Ms CHAPMAN: It is just that in this instance, minister, this money has been sitting there accumulating, and it is almost obscene that none of it is being used for the very purpose that you acknowledge needs to be addressed. So, I will be asking the same questions again next year, and I hope that, if you are the minister, you will be able to enlighten the committee about what has been done, given that I have been asking about them for as long as I can remember being in here.

To go back to some other matters: women in the workplace. How much funding is allocated for the initiative of the Achieving Women's Equality program, which you launched in 2015-16?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I was very pleased to launch this economic blueprint for investing in women's futures. I guess that this is one of the key triggers for my interest in politics—participation in the economy for all South Australians, not only women but for people to participate more fully. I do not have a figure that comes to the total of what that is—it is across many different departments. I will take it on notice.

Ms CHAPMAN: What other departments will you be funding out of your budget for that, or is there none?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Our goal is to coordinate and monitor investing in women. Individual departments will put in their own investments.

Ms CHAPMAN: So, this is a key priority for you: increasing leadership and participation for women. I appreciate that action by the government and legislatively has meant that a number of government boards have disappeared and no longer exist, but of those we now have as at 30 June (as it is easier for accounting purposes) are you able to identify the percentage of women on those boards that are left?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: It is 47 per cent.

Ms CHAPMAN: And in respect of employees in leadership positions in the departments—chief executives of all government departments and—

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: It is 44.6 per cent.

Ms CHAPMAN: Of departments only?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: In executive positions.

Ms CHAPMAN: Is that chief executives or all executives?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: All executives.

Ms CHAPMAN: I see. And of chief executives, out of 20 departments?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I think as at 30 June it was two.

Ms CHAPMAN: Two, out of 20, and what about public corporations and other agencies which the government administers?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I do not have those details in front of me. Obviously the target, which you have looked at, looks across women in public sector executive positions.

Ms CHAPMAN: Will you take that on notice and provide that information for all the agencies for which the government is responsible?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Certainly.

Ms CHAPMAN: Page 98: a highlight again was the partnering of the Office of the Public Sector in launching the gender equity in leadership. Can the minister advise what has been achieved since that was announced?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I will get some details for you. The key focus in two of the areas is looking at an audit in the public sector, and that has commenced at this stage. It is led by the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment and overseen by a steering committee, including the Director of the Office for Women, the Equal Opportunity Commissioner and the Valuer-General of South Australia. The targets of part of the strategy is a gender pay gap analysis of public sector data to identify those gaps, in what levels, roles or agencies the gap is more prevalent, and to develop a strategy to address the pay gap according to findings.

Some of the other areas of interest will be the succession planning initiatives, where chief executives support women into executive roles, the opportunity for reverse mentoring programs, where aspiring female executives mentor men in senior management roles to help managers understand women's experiences in the public sector.

We will also be looking at a pilot sponsorship program to proactively support women through career progression. An area that I find quite interesting, because I think it is something we have not looked at much, is identifying the challenges in unconscious bias, and that is something that both the public and private sectors are just coming to understand more effectively. We are also going to have courses that help aspiring female leaders in the public sector develop and enhance their skills.

Ms CHAPMAN: I appreciate the highlight was to just say that you had actually launched it. At this stage, do I assume from that answer, which is a lot of 'we will be doing', that nothing has actually been achieved yet?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I understand the pay gap analysis is currently happening.

Ms CHAPMAN: When will we have the response on that?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I would expect we would have some answers by the end of the year.

The CHAIR: With that, the agreed time for the examination of the Minister for the Status of Women has expired. Thank you, minister. Could I ask that the relevant advisers for you in your capacity as Minister for Ageing please take their seats. I refer members to Agency Statement Volume 3.

Membership:

Dr McFetridge substituted for Ms Chapman.

Departmental Advisers:

Mr D. Frater, Deputy Chief Executive, SA Health.

Ms S. Jacobi, Executive Director, Policy and Governance, Office for the Ageing.

Ms J. Walters, Assistant Director, Office for the Ageing.

Mr J. Woolcock, Chief Finance Officer, Office for the Ageing.

Ms V. Clarke, Chief Retirement Villages Officer, Office for the Ageing.

The CHAIR: Before we start, minister, I do note that some of the budget lines referred to in the section on ageing may not be your responsibility. In particular, there is a lot of overlap with the Minister for Health and other ministers. I would ask you to assist the committee when you are asked a question that does not lie within your purview by letting us know, and I will make an assessment. I will ask the member for Morphett to respect those decisions. Minister, do you have an opening statement?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Yes. Can I introduce first, to my left, Don Frater, the Deputy Chief Executive of SA Health. Further to my left is Skye Jacobi, the Executive Director, Policy and Governance, and to my right is Jeanette Walters, the Assistant Director, Office for the Ageing. Behind me to my right is Jamin Woolcock, Chief Finance Officer, and Vanessa Clarke, Chief Retirement Villages Officer.

As we know, South Australia has the highest proportion of older people in mainland Australia. This population is diverse, having been born across very different times, many in different countries, and, as they age, with very different expectations for their future. The Office for the Ageing seeks to understand and work to address issues for older people across the diversity of our community, in line with the state ageing plan and its strategic priorities: health, wellbeing and security; social and economic productivity; and all-age friendly communities.

A key activity in the health, wellbeing and security priority has been the release of the Stop Elder Abuse community awareness raising campaign in October 2015. It was effective in getting the message out to the community about the existence of elder abuse and where to go for information and support.

The linked website and phone line received significant traffic over this period and continues to be a source of useful information. The more recent phase 2 of the campaign released in June 2016 has focused on those working closely with older people and has included resources to support them in sharing the Stop Elder Abuse message. I look forward to seeing this message spread widely through the community, the workforce and the future workforce through a range of initiatives over the year.

Social and economic productivity has been an area of particular focus with it being well recognised that, as people are living longer and are more active into later life, there are products and services that they need and want that are different than in the past: technology to assist independence in the home; tourism designed for the pace and interest of the older consumer; food that is nutritious and easy to prepare; and financial products that help people to live their lives the way they want to or to meet their costs of their needs. These are the findings of the research undertaken by Professor John Spoehr and his team launching his report at an industry forum late last year.

This work continues with a strategic framework now being prepared that will build on this initial work, recognising the economic opportunities for business but also the social dividends through the involvement of older people in product design and development, having access to services that better meet their needs and a better understanding of the older population as a customer. Whyalla, Adelaide Hills and Mount Barker joined the local governments committed to building age-friendly communities in partnership with the Office for the Ageing last year. Office for the Ageing provided seed funding of $15,000 per council and also support through the network of age-friendly councils in South Australia and annual forum.

I am pleased to announce that Whyalla has gone on to be accepted to the World Health Organisation age-friendly communities network, an important recognition of their work to date and support for their future plans. I would also like to recognise Salisbury council, which has long worked with the Office for the Ageing in the age-friendly space as one of the foundation partners in developing the local government guidelines. They, too, have received acceptance by WHO to the age-friendly network. This is an area of increasing focus for the 2016-17 year with a push towards an age-friendly state.

Another significant activity in this portfolio has been the considerable work done in preparing and consulting on the Retirement Villages Bill 2016. This key piece of consumer protection legislation seeks to increase clarity for residents and operators alike on a range of areas from conflict resolution and contract disclosure through to financial obligations. Considerable consultation has been undertaken and care taken to consider the many perspectives and potential consequences of any change. I feel a balance has been achieved that will provide the necessary protections to older South Australians living in villages and provide the certainty to future residents needed to further grow this important sector.

The year ahead will see work begin on the regulations to support the legislation once past and education of the sector and residents about any changes. These few initiatives are just a snapshot of some of the important work underway by the Office for the Ageing. There is, of course, also the work of the statewide Seniors Card Program and the wide range of benefits it provides to its 360,000 members; the suite of grants delivered to support the community in active ageing activities; the statewide administration of the Aged Care Assessment Program, and supporting the implementation of state and commonwealth reforms. We are working with key parties to ensure the resolution of issues and contributing to the development of future reform initiatives.

Dr McFETRIDGE: The minister will be pleased to know that while this is no less important, it is far less contentious than our last inquiries. I am looking forward to the results of the next Census because I understand that my electorate of Morphett is what Australia is going to be in 25 years' time, so ageing is certainly a very important issue for me. With the budget references for this particular line, I am always perplexed that we have half an hour for something for which, when you do a word search, really comes down to the health and ageing section, but there is no real reference other than Budget Paper 4, Volume 3, page 33, Sub-program 1.2: Finance and Corporate Services, responsible for delivery of services related to, amongst other things, aged care. That is the reference we will be using. If there are other references, I would be delighted to find out what they are. My first question is: what is the budget for the Office for the Ageing in the current financial year?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: $3.78 million.

Dr McFETRIDGE: What was it last year, 2015-16?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: $3.679 million.

Dr McFETRIDGE: And the estimated result was?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: The estimated is the same as the original budget.

Dr McFETRIDGE: That is very good, on time and on budget. How many FTEs were in the Office for the Ageing as at June 2016?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Eighteen.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Why does that not appear anywhere in the budget, do you know?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: That is a question to be taken up with the Treasurer.

Dr McFETRIDGE: You may be in this space one day so you may want to do that now. Does the number of FTEs include people working on the commonwealth funded Aged Care Assessment Program (ACAP)?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: At this time it does not include the six FTEs who work in the administration of the Aged Care Assessment Program. Negotiations are continuing with the commonwealth about the finalisation of that funding, but I am assured that we will have a positive outcome in the near future.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Where will the ACAP staff be based? Will they be in the Office for the Ageing?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: They are be based in the Office for the Ageing.

Dr McFETRIDGE: The other huge issue that has been raised particularly recently is elder abuse. The government has been undertaking some work in preventing elder abuse. Has the elder abuse prevalence study undertaken by the University of South Australia been released yet? If so, can you tell the committee what are the key findings?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I would like to ask the assistant director of the Office for the Ageing to talk about where that report is at.

Ms WALTERS: That report is underway at the moment. It is a partnership with the University of South Australia. We have received the preliminary report on that but they are only part way through that work.

Dr McFETRIDGE: When can we expect that report to be tabled? Will it be tabled in parliament? I assume it will.

Ms WALTERS: We expect it to be completed by the end of the year.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I have not taken that into consideration. I will look at the report. It is not my intention to not be transparent in this area. Like many issues within our population, it is important that we have those difficult conversations. Elder abuse is everybody's business, just as domestic and family violence is. We are drawing people's attention to that area. Over the last decade we have drawn attention to several areas within our culture, such as child abuse, such as the safety of children.

I think elder abuse is something that we need to consider, and we need to make sure that people are aware of the different types of elder abuse. That will be my role as the Minister for Ageing in South Australia, with our action plan, to have the advocacy service that we have through ARAS so that people can call and get information. What is also important is to have evidence based the prevalence and how we can stop elder abuse in the first place.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Can you give any information at all at this stage about the percentage or number of South Australians who have experienced one or more forms of elder abuse?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: In general, the statistic we see is about one in 20. That has been the evidence that has been provided in the past. I think it is important that, when we address this, we have continued research in this area and more detailed information. That is the best way to prevent it.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Is there any information available to show the prevalence, or lack of hopefully, of elder abuse in aged care facilities?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: As we have recently seen, in what was a horrific circumstance, we must be vigilant whether it is in the home, the community or an institutional setting. This issue of elder abuse is everybody's business.

Dr McFETRIDGE: On that same budget line, minister, does the government support the recent call by the ANMF's South Australian branch to introduce a licensing scheme to prevent aged-care workers who have been sacked for misconduct from being able to get a job at another aged-care facility?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I do not have details of that with me. I certainly think that is something to consider. I am not sure whether the Office for the Ageing would be the place to do that. As you know very well, the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion has a screening unit. Perhaps, if that was the way forward, we would consider that. Already, through the commonwealth legislation, people must hold a screening to work in aged care.

Mr GRIFFITHS: On a point of clarification: I appreciate the answer, minister, but has your office done any work to determine, albeit that South Australia does not have it yet, whether other states in Australia have adopted a system like this?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: About licensing?

Mr GRIFFITHS: Yes.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: At this point, member for Goyder, I am not aware that other states have. I am happy to take that on notice. I just want to raise the issue of what we have seen happen recently in a commonwealth-regulated residential aged-care facility because this is of great concern to me. Given that we have focused in South Australia on elder abuse with our strategy to safeguard the rights of older South Australians and the action plan that I launched last year, I have written to key groups in the aged-care sector, seeking their assistance to further delineate this issue.

Actually, I will be holding a forum about this to explore the ideas and solutions with the parties. I have written to Aged and Community Services Australia SA & NT and Leading Age Services Australia, SA about this issue. While this is a commonwealth area, I do think it is appropriate to me to provide recommendations from South Australia. After this forum, I would endeavour to provide recommendations to the commonwealth minister for aged care about our considerations in this area.

I also note that there is no longer a ministerial council for ministers for ageing, as I understand there has been in the past, and that is another area that I will be looking into. There is a new minister for ageing and, under Sussan Ley, there is a minister assisting in that area. I will speak to him about our reconvening that meeting across the states and territories.

Dr McFETRIDGE: As part of the elder abuse prevalence study, I understand that the elder abuse phone helpline was put in place. Can you give the committee details about that? Is it still running? How many calls were received on the helpline?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Yes, the phone line is still running. It was a pilot for an elder abuse prevention phone line, providing confidential advice, information and support, and over 150 calls have been received. They have mainly been calls from older people experiencing abuse or from concerned family, friends or service providers.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Of those 150 calls, how many were about elder abuse?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: We are just about to evaluate that final data but, from the initial conversation, that would be the focus of it.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Were any of those of sufficient concern to advise the callers to take further action or was the Office for the Ageing able to take action on their behalf?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: This phone line is managed by ARAS—the Aged Rights Advocacy Service. They provide advice and will determine the best course of action to support people.

Dr McFETRIDGE: On that point then, ARAS put out a press release just recently about the particular case that was on the television, and they raise a number of issues about the right to choose to have a safety camera in place, the need for mandatory elder abuse recognition training for all staff and the education of residential aged-care facility managers on how to respond to complaints or concerns. Have you had discussions with ARAS about some of the points they raise in their press release?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I mentioned the forum previously that I will be holding, and ARAS will be part of that forum.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Do you think then there is a need to have mandatory elder abuse recognition training for all staff in aged-care facilities?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I think that is something for us to consider. I do not think that was part of the action plan, from my recollection. I think this is an area of growth within our community. We know we have older people, and I think we should always be looking at having the best standards, and that is why we are doing the research we are doing, so we can provide that not only to the people working in the industry sector themselves but the wider community. So, that would inform some of the training and development. I would be more than happy to talk to some of the registered training organisations about what they do already.

One of the things that came out of our research is an elder abuse simulation learning tool that is run by the School of Nursing at the University of Adelaide, and that was part of our action plan. It is a teaching tool for nursing and other disciplines to know and recognise elder abuse and where to go for information and support. So, that is at the nursing level, but I think that your question was focused more on the aged-care sector.

Dr McFETRIDGE: That's right. Minister, have you had any discussions with the Attorney-General, or do you plan to, to consider ARAS's first point about the right to choose to have a safety camera in place? I understand there are some legal concerns about this and, obviously, as ARAS say here:

This should always be with the consent of the older person or their representative. It is important to remember that the camera would be in private room/space of the older person who has most likely to have purchased the accommodation for a not inconsiderable amount of money. This right needs to balance the right to privacy and the right to safety.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: As indicated, my intention is to have the forum where I talk with peak bodies and leading providers. I have had a conversation with the Attorney-General. At the moment, because residential aged care is commonwealth-regulated, we will probably be looking towards some of the commonwealth legislation there but, once again, I think it is my role as Minister for Ageing to be clear about recommendations up to the federal minister in regard to this area. We can certainly provide leadership amongst the South Australian providers of residential aged care in regard to this area and provide any clarifications that they would need according to state law.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Just to be clear, minister, the ARAS media release here has at the bottom, 'If you or a person you know is being abused and you want free confidential advice' it lists the Elder Abuse Prevention Phone Line 1800 372 310. Is that phone line still operating, and how long will it continue to operate for?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: We are in a current negotiation about the next stage of the agreement. As I have been told, the commonwealth is also looking into having phone lines and accessibility in regard to elder abuse so, while we will continue to have a presence in South Australia, we will also look to see what movements there will be in the national area.

Dr McFETRIDGE: You mentioned in your opening statement the charter of rights and the freedoms of older people. Is that charter of rights being somehow strengthened in the plans to go forward to protect the rights of older people? So, rather than just having basically a feel-good document here, could we have something that has a bit of bite?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: The Charter of Rights is the fundamental work that we did prior to developing the safeguarding strategy and the safeguarding action plan. It is fundamental to where we start from when we look at safeguarding the rights of older South Australians, so I do think the charter is incredibly important. The last thing we want is to be coming in from a patronising point of view to say, 'Well, as an older person this is what you need.' If there is one thing I know, being the Minister for Ageing, it is that age is just a number, and your life experience is actually what develops your outlook, how you see your rights and what is important to you. So I think that the charter is incredibly important, and it has already been utilised as a key tool upon which we built the strategy and the action plan.

Dr McFETRIDGE: You are exactly right, minister. Age is just a number, and although I am not quite the grandfather of the house, certainly in my position I am very annoyed, very frequently, by the ageist attitude of a lot of people, particularly in the media. They think that when you turn 50 you are supposed to be brain-dead. Tell Hillary Clinton that, for a start; tell all those others out there that are wonderful examples of people that master the university of life. So, not being patronising, but making sure we do protect the rights of people.

Can I also ask, has work been done—not only in educating people on recognising elder abuse, but with the changes to the powers of attorney and other anticipatory documents that are out there now—by the Office of the Ageing to educate relatives of older people who are, say with powers of attorney, to make sure that they do not inadvertently cause legal issues? To me, it is keeping the receipts, right down to the box of tissues, when you have the power of attorney.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: The power of attorney actually sits with the Attorney-General. But we have had our Planning Ahead, where we hold forums and we have CD information and packs about people making some decisions about what they want. That is, obviously, focused around the Advance Care Directives. We have recently done a review of the form after receiving some feedback from people. We had a Planning Ahead week in September 2015 where we talked about Advance Care Directives, wills, power of attorney and organ donation registration. We have, now, the Planning Ahead resources developed in English, Greek, Vietnamese and Italian.

Dr McFETRIDGE: I refer to the Transforming Health program's Frailty in Older People model of care: can you give the committee some information on what involvement the Office for the Ageing has had in developing the Frailty in Older People model of care?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: That is the purview of the Minister for Health. I understand the Office for the Ageing have a representative on the Transforming Health frailty group.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Just going back to aged-care assessment with the commonwealth: how much commonwealth funding has been received in 2015-16 to deliver aged-care assessment programs, and how many category 1, 2 and 3 referrals were received in 2015-16?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: The funding agreement was $10.319 million in 2015-16. That was for us to administer the ACAT in South Australia. As I have mentioned earlier, we are just in the final negotiation for the next two-year agreement. The new agreement is proposed to be $10.942  million in 2016-17 and $11.44 million in 2017-18. You asked about total numbers within different categories. In 2015-16 category 1, 17, 6,343 in category 2 and 5,545 in category 3. The total numbers are 11,905 as of 31 March 2016.

Dr McFETRIDGE: What activities and events did the Office for the Ageing hold or fund in the last financial year to strengthen employment opportunities for older South Australians?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: As far as money within the budget for 2015-16, $90,000 was on the mature economy and job strategy and $20,000 on the Digital Fabrication Demystified Fab Lab seminars and workshops. We know that by 2036 the number of people aged over 65 in South Australia will increase by 23.6 per cent. This is a pattern that we know will be seen along the Asia-Pacific region. When we talk about a mature economy and work, we like to look at both of those areas together.

In 2014-15, we commissioned a partnership with the Stretton Centre with Professor John Spoehr. He has delivered the mature economy project to look at opportunities for South Australia and our growing population. We see that there are opportunities in healthy ageing, assistive and emerging technology, ICT, age-friendly workplaces, age-friendly living arrangements, financial services, tourism, leisure and retail and lifelong learning. We are going to develop the Mature Economy Business and Job Strategy for South Australia, and in the next coming months we will be launching the age of opportunity and this will be a platform to guide strategic and sector leadership and investment innovation across these spheres.

I do think we have some way to go about recognising older people in the workplace. One of my areas of interest is multigenerational workplaces where you have different life experiences, different skills, and we will continue to focus on that in the development of the mature economy. The other area we had some focus on was innovation and we worked in partnership with the Office for Digital Government. The D3 digital challenge focused on active ageing and supporting the objectives of our state ageing plan. The D3 challenge was to design, develop and deliver a model—and that was going to be piloted. The model was to engage and support South Australian tech start-ups to create digital solutions for critical government policy issues. The question that they addressed was how to support older people to lead engaged and active lives and a focus on the baby boomer cohort.

Two groups won the challenge: Sandpit, which developed a web-based device housed within the architecture of an old analog phone to help isolated individuals; and Yup Yup Labs, an application to connect older people with local organisations. What we have had post that project is some mentoring by NGO organisations. The auspicing partners were the RAA, with $60,000 for Sandpit, and ACH with $50,000 for Yup Yup Labs.

One of the other areas of mature-age employment that I am particularly interested in is about seniorpreneurs, that is, older people establishing their business. I am about to go and launch something in Victor Harbor in about 10 days' time where they are having hubs for older people who would like to start a business. When we think about start-ups and technology and innovation, we tend to think about the young ones who are digitally connected, and yet we know—the evidence speaks for itself—that when older people establish a business they are more likely to succeed. We will continue to support that. I think it is a really exciting area in South Australia. It is about developing a seniorpreneurial culture and how we can support them. I will endeavour to have the Office for the Ageing continue to look at that.

The CHAIR: Thank you, minister. I declare that the examination of those payments is over. I ask the minister to invite her advisers on multicultural affairs to the table.

Membership:

Mr Gardner substituted for Dr McFetridge.

The CHAIR: Member for Davenport, do you have omnibus questions?

Mr DULUK: Yes.

The CHAIR: Would you like to read them in now?

Mr DULUK: They are:

1. Will the minister provide a detailed breakdown of expenditure on consultants and contractors above $10,000 in 2015-16 for all departments and agencies reporting to the minister, listing the name of the consultant, contractor or service supplier, cost, work undertaken and method of appointment?

2. In financial year 2015-16 for all departments and agencies reporting to the minister, what underspending on projects and programs (1) was and (2) was not approved by cabinet for carryover expenditure in 2016-17?

3. For each department and agency reporting to the minister, please provide a breakdown of attraction, retention and performance allowances, as well as non-salary benefits paid to public servants and contractors in the years 2014-15 and 2015-16.

4. For each year of the forward estimates, please provide the name and budget of all grant programs administered by all departments and agencies reporting to the minister, and for 2015-16 provide a breakdown of expenditure on all grants administered by all departments and agencies reporting to the minister, listing the name of the grant recipient, the amount of the grant, the purpose of the grant and whether the grant was subject to a grant agreement as required by Treasurer's Instruction 15.

5. For each year of the forward estimates, please provide the corporate overhead costs allocated to each individual program and subprogram administered by or on behalf of all departments and agencies reporting to the minister.

6. For each department and agency reporting to the minister, could you detail:

(a) How much was spent on targeted voluntary separation packages in 2015-16?

(b) Which department funded these TVSPs?

(c) What number of TVSPs was funded?

(d) What is the budget for targeted voluntary separation packages for financial years included in the forward estimates (by year), and how these packages are to be funded?

7. What is the title and total employment cost of each individual staff member in the minister's office as at 30 June 2016, including all departmental employees seconded to ministerial offices and ministerial liaison officers?

The CHAIR: Minister, would you introduce your advisers and if you have another statement, feel free to put it on the record.

Departmental Advisers:

Mr T. Harrison, Chief Executive, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Mr A. Thompson, Executive Director, Financial and Business Services, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Ms S. Wallace, Executive Director, Policy and Community Development, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Ms N. Rogers, Director, Business Affairs, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Ms J. Kennedy, Director, Community Engagement and Grants Policy and Community Development, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Mr G. Myers, Principal Coordinator, Strategic Projects and Business Affairs, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Multiculturalism is a vital and valuable aspect of South Australia, a state built upon successful waves of immigration. We have experienced unprecedented change in the diversity of our population in a relatively short period of time. In the 2015-16 state budget the government demonstrated its commitment to our many cultural communities by tripling its investment, providing an extra $8 million in grant funding over four years. This brings the state government's total investment in supporting multicultural communities to $12 million over four years.

In 2015-16 we used this funding to strengthen the social, economic and cultural participation of our multicultural communities. One issue affecting all our migrant communities is culturally appropriate services for the elderly. Older South Australians of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are the fastest growing proportion of our ageing South Australian population. In our Italian and Greek communities, over 50 per cent of members are aged 65 or older, and aged care is therefore a pressing issue. For other newer communities, issues around caring for the elderly may be different, but are no less pressing. Our Multicultural SA grant funding provides crucial support for our organisations addressing such needs.

Our Stronger Families, Stronger Communities grant connects our multicultural communities with services and programs to help them build better lives for themselves and their families. Our multicultural infrastructure grants, which will be open for another round in late 2016, provide communities with a solid foundation of grassroots infrastructure, places where they can come together and build connections within their local communities. Our new one-off grants program, Grants SA, brings together existing one-off grant programs. One of the target groups for this program is culturally and linguistically diverse groups and communities. Grants SA has simpler application procedures, less restrictive guidelines and streamlined reporting, providing multicultural communities with even greater ease and access.

This major reform aligns with the South Australian government's commitment to reduce red tape, simplify grant processes and improve accessibility to grants for community groups. Feedback from the community has been extremely positive. We continue to celebrate our cultural diversity through festivals and events. We have structured our funding to provide major festivals with greater surety of funding over the next three years. Our second multicultural festival in Rundle Mall in November 2015 gave 80,000 South Australians an experience of the rich cultural diversity that contributes so much to the vibrancy of our state and the social cohesion that underpins our way of life.

The South Australian multicultural action plan 2017-18 is now under development. It will help us respond to the increasingly diverse needs of our communities. It will provide a two-year plan for our activities and directions in the multicultural affairs portfolio, based on three key pillars: build, strengthen and celebrate. In 2015-16 our government also established a multiagency Countering Violent Extremism program under the national countering violent extremism framework. This will focus efforts on strengthening social cohesion and preventing individuals becoming or remaining radicalised to violent extremism. Nothing brings home our world's growing mobility more than, clearly, the current crisis in Syria.

In February 2016, the Premier requested the commonwealth classify our state as a safe haven enterprise visa zone, making all of South Australia available for eligible refugees to build better lives and a future for their families. This is testament to South Australia's multicultural commitment and ethos, and to our understanding that our state's multiculturalism is not only fundamental to our social, cultural and economic thriving but fundamental to who we are as South Australians.

Mr GARDNER: I will make a brief opening statement. The minister and I spend a great deal of time together at functions, and often identify that South Australia is possibly one of the world's greatest multicultural success stories. I think that is true, but it requires constant work and constant support. One of the reasons South Australia has been a multicultural success story for decades is the bipartisan nature of the engagement with multicultural communities and the support that those communities receive from all sides of the parliament. We all value the opportunities that having that multicultural community creates.

I think the investment of time, the investment of political endeavour, by so many members of parliament on both sides is important. The only person who possibly attends more functions than the minister and me in this area would possibly be the parliamentary secretary from the opposition, the Hon. Jing Lee, and I commend her for the work she does. I welcome the chief executive to this department. I appreciated the opportunities I had to talk with him when he was the chief executive of the education department and I had that role, and I hope that in this new role he has that he particularly takes the opportunity to enjoy and appreciate this area, which can be a very joyful one in which to work. But, critically, it is not just about festivals and community engagement in the joyful sense. There are serious policy outcomes that have to be delivered from this line. That is something that I support and the Liberal Party supports, and I hope the government will continue to support, as it usually does.

That said, I have some questions. Can we go to Budget Paper 4, Volume 1, pages 99 and 100. The bulk of the questions are in this area. The use of Parliament House to engage with multicultural communities is to be applauded. I have some questions about how that has been done though. Can you identify on how many occasions Parliament House has been used for receptions and functions for multicultural communities, and the expense associated with that use?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I do not believe that I have that detail in front of me. I will endeavour to get you a response before the end of this session. I imagine my advisers are listening to me. May I make mention that I have held several functions here and invited all members of parliament to attend in general or issued specific invites with an open house that is here.

For many people, it is the first time that they have ever gone into a parliament and what I see is that the accessibility here in South Australia is something they have never experienced before. Of the 124 events that I attended in the 2015-16 calendar, the majority were out in the community, because they have invited me to their events. We do from time to time hold events here, usually around a specific event; it might be Eid or Diwali. I do believe I have something celebrating the Polish community's 130^th anniversary coming up.

Mr DULUK: It is the 160^th.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: It is the 160^th; I stand corrected. I also know the Premier has held some events in regards to that, not always in Parliament House, but we think that it is important to recognise those events. I will endeavour to get you some detail before the end of the session.

Mr GARDNER: In relation to these events, I have certainly seen and spoken to people for whom, as the minister says, it is their first time here. They do certainly appreciate it, and I think it is an opportunity for outreach. In that bipartisan way, I notice the minister said in her response that it is an open house policy. Can she confirm that when these events happen all members of parliament are encouraged to participate in welcoming members of those communities to Parliament House for those events?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I can obviously go back into the details. I know that when I have held events—I will double-check—I have generally extended an invitation to yourself or to the Leader of the Opposition to attend. If that has not happened on all occasions, I would apologise.

Mr GARDNER: I was seeking particularly going forward, if that is the plan, that members of parliament of both sides are welcome to attend?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: That has been my intention. We do not have a particular conversation about it. I think that we should have a bipartisan approach. I will endeavour to get those details. That is always been my intention.

Mr GARDNER: Hear, hear! Thank you. In relation to those events that the Premier organises—

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: It has not always been bipartisan. I can remember; I have been around long enough to remember.

Mr GARDNER: I am glad we had the opportunity to have that. In relation to those functions the Premier has organised, what engagement does multicultural services have with those functions?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: My advice is that Multicultural has not necessarily provided any support for those functions.

Mr GARDNER: I hope you will take the same bipartisan approach that the minister has taken and indicated today. We will move on to another line. In relation to the South Australian Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission, is that funded out of this budget line on page 99, or is it subprogram 1.2: Policy and community development, or is it from somewhere else?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: We are just clarifying some of the detail about which budget line it comes out of. We do provide resources, though, to comprise three full-time equivalent employees and that remains the same budget—$409,000 for 2015-16 and it will be the same in 2016-17.

Mr GARDNER: Minister, last year you identified that the budget for SAMEAC to support three FTEs was at a cost of $304,425. You have just indicated a significantly higher number, I think, over $400,000. What is the increase?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Sorry, the figure you are saying is—

Mr GARDNER: I am just quoting from your estimates last year; you said $304,425. There was also $105,000 allocated for Multicultural SA to support the role and function of SAMEAC, so is the figure you are identifying that, as well as the three FTEs at SAMEAC?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: That is my understanding and I will just get some clarification for you. I would like to talk about some of the really active work that SAMEAC has done, the strategic priorities, economic development participation, ageing and domestic violence. One of the areas in which they have done particularly well is community engagement meetings and we have had four in the last financial year: the Afghan community on 6 August, the African community on 22 October, the Filipino community in February this year, and the Chinese community this year.

Some of the issues that have been raised in here are the need for new community facilities and upgrades to existing facilities and, of course, we now have our new infrastructure grant program that people can apply for. We talk about language barriers remaining a challenge particularly in relation to obtaining employment, and parenting challenges in balancing traditional cultures and Australian values.

That is why our Stronger Families, Stronger Communities grant program is so important because some of the messages I heard when I came in as Minister for Multicultural Affairs is that division between trying to maintain culture but also being close within the family. Also, the ongoing impacts of trauma and torture, concerns about levels of domestic and family violence and, of course, opportunities for youth engagement. Probably one of the most exciting areas is how our migrants can sell our trade message to the world, so we have often seen with our international students who study here, that some remain and some go home, and they tell a great message of what living in Adelaide is like.

I think we have an opportunity for migrants who are here, who have great connections all through the world to sell our services and our products to that world. They are our ambassadors and I would like to work more on how we can develop those linkages. There are some issues raised about challenges faced by international students including social isolation and unemployment. I really think these community engagement meetings have been incredibly successful and we will continue to do them throughout this year. We will do them in a community setting where we invite people to come along.

Mr GARDNER: In relation to that detail of the SAMEAC budget, you will confirm that and bring that back?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I would like to ask Andrew to answer your question.

Mr THOMPSON: Sub-program 1.2—

Mr GARDNER: Sub-program 1.2, and that is that $400,000 figure.

Mr THOMPSON: Essentially, the SAMEAC budget is in 1.2.

Mr GARDNER: The SAMEAC budget is not listed specifically in 1.2, hence the question. It is obviously included within that figure but, as I understand it, to be utterly clear, SAMEAC has three staff of their own plus one assigned from Multicultural SA and that is the cost of the $400,000 figure the minister identified earlier; is that correct?

Mr THOMPSON: The FTEs associated with SAMEAC, the cost of those, are in 1.2. There are no FTEs in the multicultural services sub-program.

Mr GARDNER: Are there three or four of those?

The CHAIR: Hang on, you are not cross-examining the public servant.

Mr GARDNER: I am cross-examining the minister.

The CHAIR: You can ask all you like of the minister.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: SAMEAC has three FTEs.

Mr GARDNER: Three FTEs at a cost of?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: The financial information I have for the whole of SAMEAC is $409,000. I think I will take on notice the division of that between the FTEs and the running of the office.

Mr GARDNER: How much is the salary for the chair of SAMEAC, this year and last year?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Approximately $27,000 for the role as chair.

Mr GARDNER: Is that in addition to the three FTEs?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Yes, that is separate, as I understand it.

Mr GARDNER: In relation to the multicultural strategy that is the target on page 100, the minister mentioned in her opening statement the Stronger Families, Stronger Communities Grants, the Multicultural Infrastructure Grants, the one-off grants program. She talked about the benefits she identified of that one-off grants program, there being less restrictive guidelines for community groups and a different mode of reporting than they might have had to deal with previously. She said that that was very popular with the community groups. In relation to the multicultural strategy and these grants, I am interested in what analysis, what outreach has been done with those groups that have not been applying for grants, those groups that are perhaps less expert at writing grant applications? What support has been given to those groups?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: As I am informed, Multicultural SA has organised a range of information sessions. SAMEAC also, when it does its community engagement, raises grants and the grants process there. The Multicultural Communities Council has also run some sessions. With the new Grants SA, we will endeavour to have a continual information rollout of communication, given that this is a new grants program and a new way of doing it. I think probably all MPs have been approached, I would imagine, by community groups in their electorates, and that is why we have simplified the application process. I am very aware that people who have a digital literacy divide find it quite challenging to apply online, but we will try to cut the red tape and make it as simple as possible.

Mr GARDNER: You have also identified that the department, SAMEAC and the Multicultural Communities Council are putting information out there and running sessions, and MPs certainly put information out there. Has any analysis been done of groups that have not been engaged with the multicultural communities grants and in particular analyses in relation to the number of people coming into Australia and their community groups?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: For the 124 different events that I attended throughout the year, it is from the diverse population that we have. I think we estimated 200 different community groups. I cannot say that there were different individual groups within those attendances. As you and I both know, we have regular invites from particular groups. The Department for Communities and Social Inclusion ran a grants program looking at the grants across the communities and had a bit of a road show, so to speak, through South Australia, and those groups will continue to be included. I am happy to take it on board for us to consider, whether we need things in different languages. People have expressed a greater clarity around the regularity of the new Grants SA system, but I will take it on board. I have been to many events with very new arrival groups who are establishing their communities, and they have applied for grants through that process.

Mr GARDNER: In the minister's opening statement, she talked about the less restrictive guidelines. Can she identify in what ways the guidelines have been relaxed compared with what people previously had to go through in relation to their eligibility criteria?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I will ask Ms Wallace to give a little more detail about the different guidelines. The key issue that was raised with me was the timeliness of the grants. We would open a round and people would have to apply before an event took place. Then there would often be a three-month period from the time they applied to when they would find out, when the event happened. The timeliness was one of the key barriers, I felt. Now, the minor rounds of grants of less than $5,000 happen every month, so it is a lot more frequent.

While I will let Ms Wallace talk about any other changes, to me, the biggest challenge we had from a multicultural point of view is the ability to apply on a regular basis. Obviously, we try to say to people, 'Apply in advance, we're not going to pay retrospectively.' I see here another former minister for multicultural affairs who I am sure has had approaches by people asking for retrospective support. To me, it is important for it to be accessible. I will ask Ms Wallace to expand any specifics.

Ms WALLACE: The key changes are that organisations now only have to apply once to be assessed for eligibility across four streams of grant programs and reporting is now proportionate to the type and level of funding won by the organisation.

Mr GARDNER: I notice that in relation to some grants programs, particularly that the commonwealth has run over the years, there are exclusions such as, for example, religious groups are not entitled to receive grants. I do not believe that has been the case for our state grant system. Can you identify if there are grants that religious groups are not entitled to apply for?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Religious events are not part of those grants; it is about the communities.

Mr GARDNER: What about infrastructure?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: They are not included in the infrastructure grants applications.

Mr GARDNER: The state grants programs are excluding religious groups; is that your answer?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: The focus of these grants—and I will stand to be corrected—is about the communities and social inclusion and about the community coming together.

Mr GARDNER: Sure, but is there an exclusion there or not?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I am advised that religious groups are not precluded, but the focus of the grant is the community activity and not a religious purpose.

Mr GARDNER: I understand, and that is good news. In relation to pages 99 and 95, we have the estimated results for the year but not the actuals. Can we get those with the estimates answers, rather than having to wait for the Mid-Year Budget Review, unless you have here the individual 2015-16 actual end of year results, as opposed to the estimated results?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I will ask Andrew to answer that.

Mr THOMPSON: We are obviously still going through the end-of-year process and checking accruals and getting it audited and all the rest, so we can supply that when that information is available.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Would you like me to list the events for the people who have received grants?

Mr GARDNER: No, not yet.

The CHAIR: I appreciate your being proactive, minister!

Mr GARDNER: We only have 10 minutes left and I would like to get in a couple more questions. On page 99, there is a financial table. Can the minister provide a breakdown of the expenses within multicultural services and explain what that budget line is for?

If I can perhaps just finish that question, I note particularly on page 99 that the 2014-15 actual figure is listed as $1.3 million, which grows to $3.4 million. I note, in the corresponding budget line last year, the 2014-15 budgeted figure was $6.6 million, which increased to $6.8 million in 2015-16. I appreciate there has been a reallocation of back-office services, but last year's budget papers suggested that there was a $200,000 increase in this program.

This year's budget papers suggest that, from 2014-15 to 2015-16, there was a $2.1 million increase in this program. I believe you when you say the grants have increased but, given the grants are dealt with, I think, under sub-program 1.2, I am just confused as to why there is such a disparity between this year's budget papers and last year's budget papers.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I am advised that that does include the grants. On page 99, sub-program 1.5 does include the grants within that. As we know, there was an increase due to the grant funding to establish the infrastructure support grants programs and the Stronger Families, Stronger Communities funding program. I think you touched on the FTEs, and I think the question you might have been alluding to is the fact that there are no FTEs addressed here.

Mr GARDNER: No, they are in sub-program 1.2, I understand.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Yes, so we believe that by having multicultural, youth and volunteers together, along with our family and community development programs, we can develop the skill set more effectively and people can work across those programs.

Mr GARDNER: Are any of these expenses on page 99 non-grant related?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: My understanding, as advised, is they are the supplies and services that are in addition to those. We also have what I guess is some grant funding that is core funding. So, we have the festivals funding and the Multicultural SA one-off grants, which are through Grants SA. We do some core funding: the Migrant Resource Centre, last year, was $25,630; ethnic broadcasters, $22,000; Multicultural Communities Council, $172,510; the Australia Day Council of South Australia, $10,000; the women's leadership course, $12,000; and we put $52,901 in for the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters. Of course, you have detailed the $1 million with Stronger Families, Stronger Communities, and there is $1 million for multicultural infrastructure grants. So, that is how it is done. It is for supplies and services, I understand.

Mr GARDNER: Last year, I think there were 56.4 staff FTEs budgeted in multicultural services. I appreciate you have identified that those would be incorporated into sub-program 1.2 but, given there has been this integration with youth and volunteers, can you identify if the roles of any of those people working in multicultural services in policy-related roles still exist or not?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Those roles do exist, but the large proportion of that FTE is from the Interpreting and Translating Centre.

Mr GARDNER: I notice that in Sub-program 1.2: Policy and Community Development, we do not have any highlights or targets that are particularly relevant to Multicultural Affairs. Is there policy work in the description and objective that identifies that the program includes policy and corporate support to the Office of Multicultural Affairs? What policy support is that program unit giving the office?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Those policy officers work across multicultural, volunteer and youth. They have been working on the multicultural plan, the grants guidelines, things like that—so they work across the areas. We have talked about the STARservice Development Program and scope that are some of the highlights. Some of our multicultural communities, potentially, would have access to those programs as well. We have brought things together under this area because we think that there is the opportunity for policy and community development to be done more consistently and to have a higher standard, rather than having separate ways in which we do that. I think the standard has increased. I have been very pleased with where we are going.

Mr GARDNER: In relation to these budget papers—you can use page 90 as the reference, if you like, for Thriving Communities—are there any funds or staff outside of sub-programs 1.2 and 1.5 that are supporting Multicultural Services?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: The interpreting and translating services are in 1.1. Can I just come back to a question you asked me earlier about my events in Parliament House? I hosted, in 2015, the farewell of the Italian Consul to Adelaide—I think the member for Light was there; the Demetria Festival for the Greek community; the Diwali festival for the Indians; and in 2016 I hosted World Africa Day and a celebration of Carnevale. The total for that was $12,378.25.

Mr GARDNER: Can the minister identify all the grants given under these programs to multicultural communities in 2015-16 and all those that have so far been granted in this financial year? I am happy to take it on notice, if you like.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I can—

Mr GARDNER: You have two minutes, Minister!

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: While I would love to detail them, I can tell you that information about these grants is available on the website, as I understand. I am happy to talk through some highlights, if you wish. We could talk about the major festivals that we have. Perhaps this is a nice way for us to end and I can talk about some of the changes we have made. We have now delineated three-year festivals, which are our significant festivals, and then we have major festivals that are regular. The major festivals include: the Unmasked African Festival, the French Market, INDOfest, Chinese New Year Festival, Carnevale Italian festival, the Philippine Fiesta, the Greek Glendi, Indian Mela, Al Salam Festival, Schützenfest and Tet.

These 11 festivals are our major festivals. In fact, one of my key goals is to mainstream these festivals. Because we are the Festival State, we do festivals well. Traditionally, while these have been rather large festivals, they have not always extended the opportunity to all South Australians, so I am endeavouring to work with these groups.

In fact, we have just had a meeting with these 11 participants, because there are numerous costs when you host a festival, including the insurance costs, the security costs, the hiring of the venue, where people park, etc. I am facilitating with the event leaders about how we can potentially do a group booking for some of these things. That will not be the role of government to actually do that booking, but to facilitate the opportunity. Now that these 11 events are locked into our calendar, how can they bring down their costs?

Mr GARDNER: How were those 11 chosen. I do not have any issue with any of them, but how is it them and not the twelfth or thirteenth that get into the list as major festivals. I think there might have previously been fewer?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Yes, there were fewer. But there were many events that we had funded, sometimes for decades, that were consistently increasing with larger crowds, and one of the things I felt that I could give them was certainty about their funding, and that is why they had the three-year funding deal. When we look at different growths within our population, we know that definitely the Indian and the Chinese communities have increased dramatically. Probably one of the groups that has not been acknowledged is the Filipino community, that has actually been coming over 50 years, in many different ways that we have.

This major festival funding was first established in 2013-14 and the focus was on about proven capacity to stay significant festivals that reach out to all South Australians, impact on the community and they represent the broad cultural diversity of South Australia.

The CHAIR: Thank you so much, minister. I declare the examination of the proposed payments be adjourned until later today.

Sitting suspended from 12:32 to 1:30.