NAIDOC Week

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (14:22): Supplementary: Premier, in your role as Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, how will the parliament be celebrating NAIDOC Week, and does parliament have a RAP plan yet?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:22): Parliament will have to speak on that issue, so that is not something that I have responsibility for.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: It's extraordinary to be attacked on an issue when we are actually celebrating NAIDOC Week—a government that has very significantly leant into this opportunity. The member—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I am responsible for the work of the government and I have taken on the portfolio of Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation; I am not responsible for the parliament. I am sure the member reflecting on that question would understand that. In terms of what we have done as a government, we very proudly delivered an Aboriginal action plan within the first 12 months of coming to government, and we will very soon be releasing the second iteration of that plan.

We pulled together in excess of 30 separate areas that we would focus on as a government. Every member of the cabinet has a fundamental responsibility to deliver and improve the lives of Aboriginal people in critical areas like jobs, in terms of capacity building and also in terms of services to Aboriginal people in South Australia. I am very proud that the South Australian Aboriginal Advisory Council comes to cabinet. In fact, they are the only group which comes to cabinet and they hold cabinet ministers to account for the fulfilment of various aspects of that Aboriginal action plan.

At the moment, as I said, we are working on a new iteration of this plan and we will do that in conjunction with the refresh of the Closing the Gap strategy which has recently been published by the joint council. We would like not to have two separate plans but one plan which brings those two important documents together, so there is a lot of work which is being done.

One area which I am also responsible for is the Premier's NAIDOC Award. As I said before, this year is a year of changed dates for a range of events, and we will be making the Premier's NAIDOC Award in December. That gives all the leaders of the various communities who kept their communities safe during coronavirus the opportunity to come to Adelaide to be presented with their award and recognition. We are very, very grateful for the Indigenous leaders that we have in South Australia in very remote parts of our state acting very quickly to lead their communities and protect their communities during this difficult period.

The SPEAKER: Before I call the leader, the member for Playford is called to order, the member for Lee is called to order, the member for West Torrens is warned and the member for Florey is called to order.