House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1) 52 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published 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) (14:24): My question is once again to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation. Will the minister confirm that Mai Wiru can provide food to the APY Lands at Alice Springs supermarket prices for a subsidy of as little as $300,000 per year? 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) (14:24): I thank the leader for this important question. I would like to address this issue about subsidies, because it is an important issue. My view has always been that a subsidy does not build community capacity. What I am about as minister—what each of these ministers on the front benches are about—is building community capacity. That is what the APY communities want. But don't believe me: believe Ian Lovell. He is an expert, and I will describe him: Ian Lovell, a cold chain and freighting specialist for remote communities, suggested that streamlining the efficiencies in the supply chain was the first and most important step before considering subsidies. He says: If you cannot be convinced that the supply chain is working at the optimum already, then to put a freight subsidy in is going to perpetuate inefficiencies. I would say that before you entertain a freight subsidy to anywhere you really need to be satisfied that the supply chain is working effectively, both cost effectively and in terms of service delivery. And there is more. Mr Marshall interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order, member for Norwood! The Hon. G. PORTOLESI House of Assembly The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: There is more, but I would like to refer to my colleague and friend, the member for Morphett, who recently jumped to my defence at a function because he knows that it is silly to play politics with this issue. He said in the estimates committee 2010, 'I am the first to admit that subsidies are a short-term solution for a long-term problem.' Madam Speaker, what we are dealing with here is— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. G. PORTOLESI House of Assembly The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: What we are dealing with here is a really complex issue—a very complex issue. How can we solve these issues by working with communities on building community capacity? Do I have all the answers? Clearly not, but am I prepared to work with people and with groups such as the APY executive, Mai Wiru and NPY Women's Council? Of course I am. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Reynell.