Question Time

National Partnership Agreement on Remote Indigenous Housing

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:23): I seek leave to make a brief statement before asking the Minister for Human Services a question about housing.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: It is now a whole year since the minister took office and over the course of that time the minister has told the chamber a number of times that a new NPARIH, or remote Aboriginal housing agreement, is imminent. The current national partnership agreement expired in the middle of last year and we have heard absolutely nothing from the minister about a new agreement to provide housing for Aboriginal people in some of the most remote and disadvantaged areas of our state. Housing is critical; indeed, much else that is important in life flows from adequate shelter. The minister has previously told this chamber that there was still money available from state and, at different times, commonwealth funding.

However, the minister's department told a committee last year that there was no funding available anywhere for any new builds and that there was only a limited amount of funding available for maintenance of remote Aboriginal housing. I understand the minister may be visiting remote communities in the near future, particularly in the APY lands. I am currently in the middle of contacting community leaders in remote Aboriginal communities once again to let them know about the Liberal government's failure and this minister's failure in securing any new funding or making any contribution to their housing needs.

My question to the minister is: is there anything else the minister would say to community leaders in Pukatja, in Pipalyatjara, in Nepabunna, or indeed right across South Australia, about her government's failure to secure any federal funding and her government's choice not to put in any further funding for housing and remote Aboriginal communities? What is the minister going to do about this lack of funding, and has there been any offer from the commonwealth?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:25): I take the question on behalf of my colleague because, in recent months, I have had the responsibility, on behalf of the government, to negotiate with commonwealth treasurers, finance ministers and other ministers as well in relation to this most important issue. I think it's fair to say that the state government was in very strong opposition to the terms of the offer the commonwealth government had made to us through late last year and early this year.

It reached the stage where, sometime early last month, with the agreement of the government, I wrote back to the appropriate federal minister and indicated that we were not prepared to accept the offer that the commonwealth government was making and that, if that was the nature of the offer, we would refuse to sign the agreement, bearing in mind, of course, that there is a federal election looming some weeks away.

All went quiet for a number of weeks, but late yesterday afternoon my office was contacted by a staff member of the federal Minister for Finance who indicated the federal government was prepared to talk further about its position in relation to remote housing. I don't propose to put the terms of what was canvassed in terms of an improved offer to the state, but it was an improved offer in a number of particular areas. I have given authority to my office to further negotiations with federal officers and the federal minister.

I have indicated that we would want to see a written letter of commitment from the federal minister and the terms of any proposed national agreement. I am hopeful, but I am always cautious in these particular negotiations until I see the equivalent of the colour of their eyes, that is, a letter or a firm offer from the minister or a proposed agreement with which we can agree in terms of the particular detail.

One aspect which has engaged other state and territories in terms of their negotiations with the federal government has been whether or not any payments from the federal government in relation to this are HFE exempt. If, for example, the commonwealth government—as it has done in the case of Western Australia and in the offer it made to the Northern Territory—makes a one-off payment to the state or territory, the issue of whether or not you lose GST money under the HFE formula is an important issue as well.

I am pleased to update the house, at least in broad terms, that after rejecting the commonwealth's position, after a number of weeks there was the first sign of life, perhaps, in terms of an improved offer from the commonwealth government yesterday. As soon as we are in a position, hopefully, to conclude arrangements, either myself or the minister will be in a position to share further information with the public and with the parliament.