Vulnerable Indigenous Children

The Hon. S.G. WADE (15:04): Supplementary: how is the minister's comments consistent with his statement on 1 July 2021 that 'important, confidential and delicate mental health support cannot be effectively provided to Aboriginal people with staff who fly out a couple of times a year or try to do it over the phone'?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:05): I don't resile from those statements. As people were relaying to me at the time a year ago, apparently there was a proposal that would involve either an only telehealth service, and as I understand it that is what the former government implemented, a telehealth service only for young, vulnerable Anangu children—tjitjis—on the APY lands. I don't resile from my comments that a service where someone flies in once or twice a year and provides only telehealth services is the most optimal service for people on the APY lands, and that is why I am discussing these matters with my colleague.