MINISTER FOR ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS AND RECONCILIATION

Mr MARSHALL (Norwood) (14:47): My question is to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation. Why should the public have confidence in the minister when respected Indigenous leader and former ALP national president, Warren Mundine, recently said:

...it is obvious the achievements and outcomes for indigenous people are just not happening on the ground...The state government's problem has always been being able to admit it needs help.

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) (14:47): There is no question in my mind, again for the third or fourth time today, that despite the fact that this is incredibly difficult, complex—at times it feels like it is an intractable issue. There is no question that, in my view, for the first time we have the federal government, we have the state government and we have the APY executive working incredibly closely, working diligently.

If there is one thing that points to a very bright future, it is the fact that all three parties—the state government, the federal government, the APY executive—have now agreed that we are going to go down the path of regional partnership agreement. The APY executive and the people on the lands, all of them, I am told, feel that this is the way to go when it comes to managing future governance on the lands. I am incredibly confident that, despite the fact that there are a number of hurdles that I am certainly absolutely committed to overcoming, we will get there because unlike them we have a plan for the future.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order, Madam Speaker. If the minister does have a plan, we would like her to table it. We have been waiting for it for four years.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order there. Member for Reynell.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!