DISABILITY FUNDING

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg) (14:44): My question is to the Minister for Education. Can the minister tell the house why $5.1 million of disability equipment funding in the 2008-09 years was transferred to the Julia Farr Association? With your leave and that of the house I will explain. The minister has repeatedly told the house this week that, ultimately, the funding was spent on disability equipment. The question as to why the minister transferred the disability equipment funding to the JFA, which is an organisation that does not provide disability equipment and the commentary in the Julia Farr Association—

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Point of order, Madam Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Order! A point of order.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: The rules are quite specific: the member is entitled to ask a question without notice and entitled to seek leave of the house if the member wants to explain that question, not go off on a lengthy discourse. If she wants to explain it—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Well, it might not seem lengthy to you but, listening to it, it seems very long to me. I would ask her to ask the question—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: —and explain it with the leave of the house.

The SPEAKER: Order!

Ms CHAPMAN: I am actually happy to accept that advice, Madam Speaker, and I seek your leave to complete the explanation. The Julia Farr Association 2009 annual report states that the money was being held in trust for the Department for Families and Communities.

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Disability.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright—Minister for Families and Communities, Minister for Housing, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Disability) (14:46): Thank you, Madam Speaker. It is really interesting that we have the member for Bragg, the shadow minister for disability, so interested in disability equipment, and I think—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: I say that in the context of the lack of your commitment to improving the life of people with a disability. You went to—

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order, Madam Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Order! A point of order.

Ms CHAPMAN: The minister is accusing you, Madam Speaker, of having a lack of commitment to people with a disability, which is outrageous.

The SPEAKER: Order! Yes, it's the terminology. Minister, continue the answer.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: The $5 million that was transferred to the Julia Farr Association for disability equipment is—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: —half of the total amount they were going to commit to the entire disability budget over four years if they were elected.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Well, you may not know this, but Julia Farr Services is a highly respected disability service here in South Australia, and it was providing disability services, but it went through—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: No, listen.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: You want to listen.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Bragg!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: You want to listen. There was a process in which Julia Farr Services was going through a transition into Julia Farr Association.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I can't hear the minister.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Money was paid to the organisation that was going to be ongoing, not the organisation that was closing down. It is my advice that the money had actually been—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Madam Speaker, I can't tell them—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I have no idea what you are saying, minister, and they haven't either because no-one can hear you. I suggest you—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Norwood, you are on your second warning.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: It is my understanding that the money was actually expended in the financial year for which it was—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Bragg, you're on a warning.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Will you just be quiet? Three strikes yesterday; if you were a trust tenant, we would be taking you to the tribunal.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Three strikes yesterday.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: It is my understanding that the equipment was purchased during the year in which the money was provided—

Mr Venning interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Schubert will stop making those noises across the floor. You're on a warning.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: —but the Julia Farr Association, as of 30 June 2009, had not yet paid the bill.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister has sat down; she has finished her answer. The member for Kavel.