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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-09-14 Daily Xml
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APY LANDS, FOOD SECURITY

Mr MARSHALL (Norwood) (14:51): My question is to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation. Will the minister explain her comments in the media last week that the two key organisations providing nutrition and income management advice on the APY lands—Mai Wiru and NPY Women's Council—could not be on the team to develop and monitor the food security strategy and could not give evidence to the team about that because of a 'conflict of interest'?

Mr Pederick interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI (Hartley—Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers, Minister Assisting the Premier in Social Inclusion) (14:51): I thank the member for Norwood for asking me this question, because it actually gives me an opportunity to go back to the original issue that kicked off this frenzy, that is, the very serious and disturbing allegations that were made about children starving on the lands. I am going to answer that question by referring—

Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order. The question was very specific. It was asking the minister—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Thank you. You can sit down now. You say the question was very specific. It was, but I think the answer that the minister is giving will lead into it.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: This is a complex issue.

The SPEAKER: She has explained why she is answering it in this way.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: This debate that we are having is based on the premise that there are starving children. This is what the Nganampa Health Council said about this issue:

The statements from various—

Mr MARSHALL: Point of order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Point of order: member for Norwood.

Mr MARSHALL: I know the minister wants to read her prepared speech, but the simple fact of the matter is that the question asked specifically about her comments in the media that Mai Wiru and NPY Women's Council could not be included in the EAT team.

The SPEAKER: Thank you. You have explained your point of order, but I do not uphold that point of order, because the minister is answering the question as she chooses.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: This is not my prepared speech. What this is is a statement from the Nganampa Health Council, a highly regarded body. They say:

Statements from various—

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: They say:

Statements from various NGOs, some Aboriginal spokespersons and national media organisations claiming widespread severe malnutrition amongst children on the APY lands are simply wrong.

This is Prof. Paul Torzillo, the medical director of the health service.

Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order, Madam Speaker.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Members on my right will behave. I want to hear the point of order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the minister for mineral resources, be quiet!

Mr WILLIAMS: I apologise, Madam Speaker. I have memorised the numbers of the standing orders, but the numbers have been changed. Notwithstanding that, the question was about a conflict of interest that the minister claimed on radio last week. The opposition is seeking to understand what the conflict of interest was.

The SPEAKER: I have already explained it. I think the minister can answer this as she chooses. My understanding of the question and her answer is that it is appropriate.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: I am happy to come back to that.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister, continue.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: They were the words of Mr John Singer, the director of the Nganampa Health Council. Prof. Paul Torzillo says:

During the 1980s and 1990s up to 30 per cent of all children under five had severe malnutrition by WHO standards and at the time we were trying to prevent severe malnutrition. But by 2005 that proportion was only 6 per cent which is not much above the national average. This year our data on all children under five years, (approximately 210 children) shows that only six children have a weight for age measure demonstrating severe growth failure and four of these had birth related causes contributing to their low weight. Nganampa Health has a very effective policy of identifying any child who drops below their predicted growth curve, even if their weight is not markedly abnormal.

He continues:

These children present extremely difficult problems to change. There are multiple medical—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Bragg, you are on a warning.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: Yes, very happy; I am very happy to table this. In relation—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Bragg, you are on your second warning, and yesterday you were thrown out.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: He says—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Both sides will quieten down.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: He says:

There are multiple medical, social and nutritional factors which contribute to growth problems in these children.

He goes on, and he finishes by saying—

Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order, Madam Chair.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr WILLIAMS: Standing order 98. Standing order 98—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Thank you.

Mr WILLIAMS: Standing order 98—

The SPEAKER: That's all I need to know. Minister, could I ask you to conclude your remarks as quickly as possible.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: I am going to wrap it up. He says:

Again emergency responses by either NGOs or government are not what is needed here but rather considered and sustainable initiatives.

I am prepared to work with Mai Wiru, and I met with them just the other day. I am—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister is reaching the substance of the question.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: I am answering your question.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: I am prepared to work with the NPY Women's Council. In fact, I spoke to Andrea Mason yesterday about these very matters and did commit to working together. It is the most appropriate—

Mrs REDMOND: Madam Speaker, the relevance of the answer is the point of order.

The SPEAKER: No, I don't uphold that at this stage. She is actually referring to the people that were mentioned.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: I am very happy and will continue working with all of the bodies on the APY lands.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Little Para.

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