State Voice to Parliament

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO (14:45): Supplementary: how many staff are currently allocated to provide administrative support to the State Voice, and what executives and ministers has the State Voice met with so far?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:46): I thank the honourable member for her question. I just don't have the figures in front of me, but from memory and from discussions we had during the course of the legislation passing and during the last estimates process I think it's approximately $1.5 million a year budget allocated for the operation of the statewide Voice. About half of that is the very modest payment, which is just $3,000, to a member of a Local Voice and the costs for arranging transport and accommodation for members of the Voice to attend meetings, and the approximately other half of the $1.5 million is the cost of the administration.

So it is around $700,000 to $800,000 a year for that administration-secretarial support. From memory, it is around four to six FTEs that are providing that support. Of course, most government departments have nominated someone or a group of people within their department as a contact or liaison for the Voice so that when the Voice asks for information to help them make decisions it is not starting from scratch but there is a section or a person in each government department that is readily identified who can provide that support.

I think the final part was ministers who have met with members of the Voice. I certainly know I have met twice with the statewide Voice. I have also met with all members of all Local Voices when they were first elected and came to Adelaide. I think that was 43 of the 46, from memory, who were there. I think the Deputy Premier has had the opportunity to meet with the Voice, and I think there was an opportunity for representatives of all parties in this parliament to meet with the Voice when they first came to Adelaide. I know, as I look around this chamber, a number of members of this chamber took up that opportunity to meet with the Voice when they were here.