Children in Care

Ms STINSON (Badcoe) (15:07): My question is to the Minister for Child Protection. Is the minister aware that the number of children in emergency care has risen by 35 per cent since she became minister?

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: That question did contain fact, Mr Speaker, and is out of order under 97.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Badcoe, it's your last question. Would you like to seek leave to insert any fact?

Ms STINSON: Yes.

Leave granted.

The SPEAKER: Member for Badcoe, last question.

Ms STINSON: My question is to the Minister for Child Protection. Is the minister aware that the number of children in emergency care has risen by 35 per cent since she became minister, and I seek—

Members interjecting:

Ms STINSON: Sir, do I need to seek leave again?

The SPEAKER: I'm going to allow the minister an opportunity to answer. Has the minister got the question?

The Hon. R. SANDERSON (Adelaide—Minister for Child Protection) (15:09): Yes, thank you, and I thank the member for her question. Yes, and I am aware there has been an increase. Currently, as at 31 March, we have 130 children in commercial care and, as I stated earlier, in 2016, under the former government, that was 212: 130 is too many; 212 is too many. As I said in my comprehensive answer, we are working as a whole of government in every area, from strengthening—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. R. SANDERSON: —our families, to working at reunification, to working with our families that we have, to encouraging more foster care families. Another promise I made was to have a net 50 foster carers. We achieved that last year. We are on track to achieve that again this year, despite the former Labor government—

Ms Stinson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Minister. Member for Badcoe, you can leave for 20 minutes under 137A.

The honourable member for Badcoe having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. R. SANDERSON: I will just add that the former Labor government, when I was the shadow minister, announced $9 million to increase foster carers and, in fact, lost more carers than they gained and spent $9 million doing it.