Child Protection Department, Port Lincoln

Ms HILDYARD (Reynell) (14:05): My question is to the Minister for Child Protection. What currently are the staffing shortages in the Department for Child Protection's operations in Port Lincoln?

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Point of order, sir: standing order 97. The question contained argument.

The SPEAKER: The question proceeded on the basis of a premise of fact. If the member for Reynell wishes to seek leave to introduce any fact, I will give the member for Reynell an opportunity to do so. Is the member for Reynell seeking the call? I uphold the point of order.

Ms HILDYARD: Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Child Protection. Are there staffing shortages in the Department for Child Protection's operations in Port Lincoln?

The Hon. R. SANDERSON (Adelaide—Minister for Child Protection) (14:06): I thank the member for her question. Just to remind the house that, when I came to government in March 2018, when I became the minister, there were 279 FTE vacancies—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Badcoe!

The Hon. R. SANDERSON: —across the Department for Child Protection. I can assure the house that as of now there are more staff than ever before employed in my department. We have worked very hard as a department. One of our first policy announcements that was enacted within the first 100 days was to broaden the qualifications that were accepted in order to help fill the long-held vacancies.

Allegedly, the vacancies were held in order to hide the blowouts in the budget of the Department for Child Protection (then Families SA). We are now at less than 60 FTE vacancies across the entire state. I am not sure how many exactly there might be in Port Lincoln but, as far as I am aware, it would be very few and there is no issue with staff in the Port Lincoln office.

The SPEAKER: Before I call the leader, I call to order the member for Badcoe.