Treaty Negotiations

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (14:47): I seek leave to make an explanation prior to directing a question to the Leader of the Government on the subject of Aboriginal treaties.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: In the Christmas/New Year edition of The Australian,Meredith Booth wrote an article headed: groups on course to settle treaties. In that she quoted various interviews that she conducted with the Adnyamathanha Traditional Lands Association (ATLA) and the Ngarrindjeri Regional Authority. She summarised those particular interviews as follows:

Indigenous languages taught in public schools and more autonomy on health, lands and cultural sites are among the ambitions of South Australian indigenous groups seeking the nation's first treaties with the state government.

Given the answer to the question given by the minister yesterday, can I ask the minister, in light of Meredith Booth's interviews with those particular groups, has the state government indicated to Indigenous groups that it is prepared to include in treaty negotiations and discussions the issues of Indigenous languages taught in public schools and more autonomy on health, lands and cultural sites?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (14:48): I thank the honourable member for his question. The state government has not indicated anything that may or may not be in treaties, certainly that I'm aware of.