Office of the Public Advocate

The Hon. M. EL DANNAWI (14:36): My question is to the Attorney-General. Will the minister inform the council about his recent visit to the Office of the Public Advocate and the increased funding provided to the office?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:36): I thank the honourable member for her question and her very diligent work in representing the people of South Australia and her interest in the workings of the Office of the Public Advocate in particular. I am pleased to be able to update the council that, at the end of last month, I had the opportunity to visit once again the Office of the Public Advocate located in Victoria Square and meet with many of the remarkable staff of the OPA, the Office of the Public Advocate.

As many will be aware, the Office of the Public Advocate acts as what is known as guardian of last resort in cases where an individual does not have the capacity to make decisions for themselves and where there are no other appropriate people who can be appointed as guardian. The Office of the Public Advocate can also act as an advocate for people subject to guardianship orders.

This body can also provide information to the general public on advance care directives, consent to medical treatment and advocate on behalf of clients to government and other agencies for systemic, legislative and operational change. Many clients represented by the Office of the Public Advocate are highly vulnerable South Australians, and I am always struck by the great care and concern that officers within that office demonstrate in acting and advocating for their clients.

After having regular meetings with the Public Advocate, Anne Gale, it was a great chance to catch up, meet and hear from some of the staff who spend their days looking after the needs of their clients, which for some staff includes, on a rostered basis, being on the clock at all hours to ensure 24-hour support. The entire office kindly took the time in their busy work day to share some of the stories of what their daily work day looks like, including team leaders, guardians, guardian liaison officers, the aged-care team and the policy team.

Hearing from the staff demonstrated a resounding theme of sincere care and passion for the work that they do, and I would like to acknowledge and thank Anne Gale, as well as the assistant public advocates and each and every staff member, for their dedication to ensuring some of our community's most vulnerable people are afforded the highest quality of service and advocacy.

It was also a great opportunity to hear from the office how the recent additional funding, provided in the last budget, will impact on the pressures of the office. I am pleased to share that the recently announced allocation of $1.3 million a year in extra funding has enabled the employment of additional staff to assist with the office's integral work for the vulnerable client base, both in the guardianship and advocacy space. This funding was the result of a marked increase in the client group over a number of years and recognises the important role that the Office of the Public Advocate plays in supporting some of South Australia's most vulnerable people.