House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1) 52 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Question Time APY Lands, Food Security APY LANDS, FOOD SECURITY Mrs REDMOND House of Assembly Heysen Leader of the Opposition 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 House of Assembly Hartley Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation Minister for Multicultural Affairs Minister for Youth Minister for Volunteers Minister Assisting the Premier in Social Inclusion APY LANDS, FOOD SECURITY 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 House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. G. PORTOLESI House of Assembly The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: —this important issue. Can I say— Ms Chapman interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. G. PORTOLESI House of Assembly 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 House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! Members on my left will hear the minister in silence. The Hon. G. PORTOLESI House of Assembly 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 House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Norwood will behave. The Hon. G. PORTOLESI House of Assembly The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: —been addressed, apart from one— Mr Marshall interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: And you will not display material around the chamber. The Hon. G. PORTOLESI House of Assembly 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 House of Assembly The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: They may not like what I have to say. I met with Lowitja this morning— Mrs REDMOND House of Assembly 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 House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! Mrs REDMOND House of Assembly 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 House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The question is not quite in order either. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! Minister. The Hon. G. PORTOLESI House of Assembly 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 House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. G. PORTOLESI House of Assembly 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 House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. G. PORTOLESI House of Assembly The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: When they are ready, Madam Speaker. I am committed— Mr Pengilly interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Finniss, you are warned. The Hon. G. PORTOLESI House of Assembly 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 House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order!