Kinship Carers

Ms STINSON (Badcoe) (14:50): My question is to the Minister for Child Protection. Does the minister stand by her public statements that her agency never considered cancelling last year's kinship carer Christmas lunches?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The minister has the call.

The Hon. R. SANDERSON (Adelaide—Minister for Child Protection) (14:51): I thank the member for her question. Obviously, I don't have a photographic memory—

Ms Cook: Well, you need one.

The Hon. R. SANDERSON: —to remember what was said last year.

The SPEAKER: The member for Hurtle Vale is called to order and warned.

The Hon. R. SANDERSON: However, during the month of December, kinship carers had organised Christmas events, some of which I attended. I attended quite a few, actually. There were lots of Christmas events. A total of 371 carers attended 12 events ranging from providing thankyou gifts to holding breakfasts, brunches and lunches as well as garden demonstrations and visits to an animal farm. There were lots of Christmas parties organised for carers, both kinship carers and foster carers, and I went to quite a few of those. A lot of them were at swimming centres; around three were at the Semaphore swimming and slides centre.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. R. SANDERSON: So there were lots of carer events.

Ms Stinson: Answer the question.

The SPEAKER: The member for Badcoe is warned.

The Hon. R. SANDERSON: I would like to put on the record the great work that our kinship carers and foster carers do. It is such a difficult job and a much appreciated job, and that's why we expanded their payments to age 21.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: There is a point of order. Is the minister finished?

The Hon. R. SANDERSON: Yes.

The SPEAKER: The minister has finished her answer. The member for Wright and then the member for King.

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Yes, I saw it.