House of Assembly Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1) 54 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Foster Carers Foster Carers Ms STINSON House of Assembly Badcoe Foster Carers Ms STINSON (Badcoe) (14:08): Supplementary: what target has the minister set for increasing the number of foster carers? Members interjecting: Ms STINSON House of Assembly Ms STINSON: I can ask a new question, if you would like. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! I will allow it on this occasion. Please continue. Ms STINSON House of Assembly Ms STINSON: What target has the minister set for increasing the number of foster carers in South Australia? The Hon. R. SANDERSON House of Assembly Adelaide Minister for Child Protection The Hon. R. SANDERSON (Adelaide—Minister for Child Protection) (14:09): I thank the member for the question. What I will say is that, despite the several millions of dollars that were announced under the former Labor government to increase the numbers of foster carers, the numbers actually went down under their watch. They announced $9 million, $4 million— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER Order! The Hon. R. SANDERSON House of Assembly The Hon. R. SANDERSON: —different amounts, yet— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER Order! The Hon. R. SANDERSON House of Assembly The Hon. R. SANDERSON: —they failed on every level. So what I am doing is meeting with all the stakeholders, getting a picture of the actual mess that I have been left with, and, I will, over time, determine what the targets are. The target is certainly— The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The minister will be seated. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER Order! The minister will be seated for a point of order. Ms COOK House of Assembly Ms COOK: Point of order: that contains debate. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: So the point of order is for debate. I don't believe it does. The minister is— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order, members on my right! The Hon. S.K. Knoll interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The Minister for Transport is called to order. The point of order is for debate. I think the minister is allowed some preamble to get to her answer. I will listen carefully, but I believe she is answering the question. If there are any bogus points of order, I will be calling members to order and warning them. Minister—the target. The Hon. R. SANDERSON House of Assembly The Hon. R. SANDERSON: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Unlike the former government that made announcements and failed on them, where is the $15 million new building that you were building for the Salisbury office and the Gawler office and then it wasn't including Gawler? Unlike the former government that made grand announcements that it never fulfilled, I am researching and meeting with as many stakeholders as possible. I will have a measured approach to my portfolio, and I will be increasing the number of foster carers and, in due time, I will release my estimates.