Minda Incorporated

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (14:29): Thank you, Mr President. My question is to the Minister for Human Services regarding disability. How many visits has the community visitor or other state authorities made to people living at Minda who are under the guardianship of the Public Advocate and are there for the specific responsibility of the state government; and can the minister explain exactly where her legal responsibilities end and her moral responsibilities begin regarding people with disability in South Australia?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (14:29): In terms of the Community Visitor Scheme, I would need to seek detailed advice from the Principal Community Visitor in relation to how many clients are located at Minda.

The Hon. K.J. Maher: You haven't even asked yet.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: I would assume that there would be some there—

The Hon. K.J. Maher: Have you not even asked after all this?

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Leader of the Opposition is out of order.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: In terms of the boundaries of where my responsibilities lie, the legal ones are very, very clear. I have no jurisdiction—

The Hon. K.J. Maher: You have no responsibility.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: —no jurisdiction as a regulator of Minda. That has changed as of 1 July 2019. In terms of being part of the collegiate group of SIL providers, we, too, in the South Australian government are SIL providers, and we provide ongoing support to a range of SIL providers, as I have already said—that we have done so, particularly during COVID times, in terms of assisting with PPE, business continuity plans, vaccinations and a range of other areas.

We have been very much with our colleagues in the SIL sector to work with them and to raise matters through the disability reform meeting. So as a fellow SIL provider and where we are in this space, when we are aware of issues with other providers we are in contact with those organisations as well as with the NDIS commission.