Question Time

APY LANDS, FOOD SECURITY

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (14:07): My question is to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation. Does the minister believe that the people on the APY lands would be better off if the recommendations from the 2004 report, prepared by Lowitja O'Donoghue and Tim Costello, which demanded sweeping changes to food management on the lands, had been implemented?

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI (Hartley—Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers, Minister Assisting the Premier in Social Inclusion) (14:07): I thank the leader for this important question. It is the third question that I have received since I have been minister for Aboriginal affairs in this place, in about a year and a half. Nonetheless, I am very happy to tackle—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: —this important issue. Can I say—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: —I met with Lowitja O'Donoghue this morning. I spoke to her yesterday, and I have to say—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Members on my left will hear the minister in silence.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: I have enormous respect for Lowitja O'Donoghue. She is a Yankunytjatjara woman, so she is very much entitled to speak about issues that are going on in the lands. In relation to the report that she prepared with Tim Costello, I understand that most of the issues (because they did not provide recommendations per se) that they highlighted have absolutely—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Norwood will behave.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: —been addressed, apart from one—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: And you will not display material around the chamber.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: —apart from one issue. That one issue is in relation to the appointment of an administrator. This is a very, very complex—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: They may not like what I have to say. I met with Lowitja this morning—

Mrs REDMOND: Point of order. It is not that we do not like what the minister has got to say: it's the fact that the question was: does—

The Hon. P.F. Conlon interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mrs REDMOND: Relevance. The question was: does the minister believe that people on the APY lands would be better off if the recommendations had been implemented?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The question is not quite in order either.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: There is one thing that I have to say here. I understand that the opposition want to get me; I understand that. They want to get me, but this is not about me. This is not about me—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: —it's not about you: it is about Aboriginal people. What am I committed to doing? I am committed to working with people like Lowitja O'Donoghue. I am committed to working with the APY executive, and I am meeting with them tomorrow. I am committed to working with the federal government, and I have a very good relationship with the federal minister, and I am committed to working—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: When they are ready, Madam Speaker. I am committed—

Mr Pengilly interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Finniss, you are warned.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: I am committed to working with every minister on this front bench and people like you, Madam Speaker, on making real progress on the lands.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!