Hutt St Centre

Mr TELFER (Flinders) (14:26): My question is to the Minister for Human Services. Will the minister commit to ongoing funding for the Hutt St Centre's Aspire program? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr TELFER: The Aspire program, which was supported by the former Liberal government, is seeking $9 million over the forward estimates. An independent evaluation of Aspire has conservatively estimated that this investment would save the South Australian government $14 million. Without ongoing funding, the Hutt St Centre will be forced to stop taking referrals from 1 July and then will need to wind down, with no alternative service.

The Hon. P.B. Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier is called to order.

The Hon. N.F. COOK (Hurtle Vale—Minister for Human Services) (14:27): Thank you very much for the question. I think it has been well canvassed in this place and in the community that Hutt St was subject to losing funding under the previous Marshall Liberal government. As a result, along with Catherine House and Vinnies, we were left in a situation here in South Australia with the rollout of a whole new homelessness sector service, known as the Alliance services, with a critical shortage of supports and also uncertainty for many staff moving forward. We made it our business to make sure we fully understood those consequences and fully engaged with the sector regularly, and I continue to do so.

Going into the election, we actually committed to—and have already—rolling out the funding of $2 million each to Catherine House, Hutt St Centre and Vinnies. Without that funding, they would have stopped taking new clients last year, so that Aspire program was already under threat because of the Liberal government and the way it handled those services and the transition to the Alliance services.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Chaffey!

The Hon. N.F. COOK: We have worked very hard to fund not just those services but other services that also were left short—I think it is called health to home out at Holbrooks. There were domestic violence support services which were left without any funding attached. There were a whole range of them. I meet regularly with homelessness service providers, and I have every confidence that we will provide the requisite supports to the homelessness sector that they need to continue services. Along with Minister Champion, I am also part of the national round table of ministers that meets regularly to discuss housing and homelessness, with the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement as a fundamental and critical part of that negotiation.

Members may be aware that there are some absolutely dreadful circumstances looming for the housing and homelessness sector moving forward if those opposite don't get their mates in Canberra and the Greens to vote for the—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. N.F. COOK: —Housing Australia Future Fund.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister, there is a—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The interjections from the member for Chaffey and the member for Newland will cease. There is a point of order from the member for Morialta under 134.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Thank you, sir: standing order 98. The question was about whether the Aspire program of the Hutt St Centre would be continued.

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: The minister has now diverted to talking about federal legislation and whether the Liberal Party, the Greens and others will vote for it.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I have the question. I will listen carefully. I bring the minister to the question. We have had some context. One minute remains.

The Hon. N.F. COOK: Thank you, Mr Speaker. All the matters we are discussing in terms of the provision of homelessness services, the provision of housing outcomes and support within those housing outcomes, are—if you are not aware—part of the Aspire program.

The Aspire program is completely unable to function if there are not the requisite outcomes for housing. The housing services cannot be provided without homes, and those homes cannot be built without the money that is to be provided through the Housing Australia Future Fund, which is currently in limbo in the federal government, which can be influenced, as we all know, by a united front coming from all of us to lobby—

Mr Brown interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Florey!

The Hon. N.F. COOK: —the federal Liberal Party to vote for it in Canberra and help us to support all the services here in South Australia.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Hammond, order!