MINISTER FOR ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS AND RECONCILIATION

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (14:31): Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation. Why should the public have confidence in the minister when respected Indigenous leader Mick Gooda recently said:

Children are missing out on a basic human right. The government has to do something. There has to be some form of intervention. It's no good the state government just talking about market gardens.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation.

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) (14:32): Thank you, Madam Speaker. The community should be satisfied; they should feel—and, indeed, I am confident—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: Madam Speaker, they do not need to listen to anything that I say about children on the APY lands. Let me repeat for their benefit the press release that the Nganampa Health Council—an independent health authority—says about children on the lands:

The statements from various NGOs, some Aboriginal spokespersons and national media organisations claiming widespread severe malnutrition amongst children on the APY lands are simply wrong.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the member for Norwood!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: I continue:

Mr John Singer, Director of Nganampa Health Council said today—

Mr MARSHALL: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Point of order. The member for Norwood.

Mr MARSHALL: This question had nothing to do with malnutrition, and I would ask you to direct her—

The SPEAKER: Order! It was a very broad-ranging question.

Members interjecting:

Mr MARSHALL: Relevance. The answer is not going near the question.

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Norwood, sit down. You are warned for the second time, member for Norwood.

Mr Goldsworthy interjecting:

The SPEAKER: And the member for Kavel, you are also warned.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: I am sorry, Madam Speaker, for speaking while they are interrupting. Anyway, I will continue:

Mr John Singer, Director of Nganampa Health Council said today, 'Certainly poverty is a major problem on the APY lands, but it is complex and it is uneven in its effects. This does not mean that some parents have problems in consistently providing healthy food for their families, but our health service data shows that, despite this poverty, there has been marked improvement in the growth and nutrition of children on the lands.' He said, 'An emergency response—

which goes to the heart of the question—

to poverty is not what is needed. What is needed are sustainable ways to reduce poverty. Nganampa Health—

not me—

is currently planning a high-level professional review of poverty on the lands which provides clear recommendations for poverty reductions.'

And we are very keen to work with them. I continue:

Professor Paul Torzillo, Medical Director of the health service said, 'During the 1980s and 1990s—'

Members interjecting:

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: They ask the question, they don't want to hear the facts, Madam Speaker.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: I am sorry for speaking while you were interrupting. During the 1980s and 1990s, up to 30 per cent of all children under five had severe malnutrition by WHO's standards and at the time we were trying to prevent severe malnutrition. However, by 2005, that proportion was only 6 per cent, which is not much above the national average. This year, our data on all children under 5 years (approximately 210 children) shows that only six children have a weight for age measure demonstrating severe growth failure, and four of these had birth-related causes contributing to their low weight.

Nganampa Health Council has a very effective policy of identifying any child who drops below the predicted growth curve, even if their weight is not markedly abnormal. These children present extremely difficult problems to change. There are multiple medical, social and nutritional factors which contribute to growth problems in these children. In general, 20 to 30 such children across the APY lands are identified as needing special attention for growth, and often the interventions required are complex because of a host of problems. In closing, again—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: Of course they are, because you don't care. In one year, how many questions have you asked me? What is your policy response? A big fat zero, and you know it, Vickie.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Bragg, you are warned for the second time.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: In closing, Paul Torzillo says:

Again, emergency responses by either NGOs or government are not what is needed here but, rather, considered and sustainable initiatives.

That is not from me. That is from the Nganampa Health Council.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Taylor.