Homelessness Sector Staffing

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (14:39): I seek leave to make brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Human Services regarding homelessness.

Leave granted.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Yesterday, honourable members in this place asked questions regarding staffing levels within the Office of Homelessness Sector Integration. Can the minister please provide an update to the council on staffing within the Office of Homelessness Sector Integration?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (14:39): I thank the honourable member for her question. There did seem to be a great deal of interest in the staffing levels of the Office of Homelessness Sector Integration yesterday, so I thought it might be appreciated by honourable members if I updated the house as to those staffing levels.

I think it is worth recapping that yesterday the Leader of the Opposition, having a freedom of information document, claimed there were just three staff working in that office, and also accused the chief executive of the South Australian Housing Authority of having provided misleading evidence to the estimates committees last year when he said that off the top of his head he thought there was something like a dozen staff.

I have been provided with the freedom of information document that was supplied to the opposition a few weeks ago, and in the spreadsheet there is a list of 20 staff. One of those includes Mr Ian Cox, who is the chief of that particular unit, but clearly there are 19 staff who report to Mr Ian Cox in the office of homelessness.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: They might have confused 20 with two.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Twenty and two, that might be right. I don't have the FTE count to hand but I am happy to provide that, because I know this is an area of very great importance to members of the opposition. However, that is the information that was provided to them and that I will provide to the house, out of the clear interest of members of this chamber. The Labor Party might consider withdrawing or at least apologising for the slur on the chief executive of the Housing Authority for not themselves being able to read documents properly.