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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-10-18 Daily Xml
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APY LANDS, YOUTH STRATEGY

Mr MARSHALL (Norwood) (16:23): My question is to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation. Will the minister update the house on the APY lands youth strategy first announced by the previous minister, the Hon. Jay Weatherill, in 2008 and subsequently put on hold by the current minister while a strategy was developed for just one of the 10 main communities on the APY lands, that being Amata, which incidentally is still not complete.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Point of order, Madam Speaker. The member for Norwood is clearly commenting in his question. He must ask a question seeking fact and he can give an explanation appropriately. I would ask that he rewrite the question and return when it is done.

Mr MARSHALL: I'm happy to do so, Madam Speaker. Will the minister update the house on the APY lands youth strategy first announced by the previous minister, the Hon. Jay Weatherill, in 2008 and subsequently put on hold by the current minister while a strategy was developed for just one of the 10 main communities on the APY lands, and can the minister please advise the house—

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Point of order, Madam Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Point of order. There was comment in that that did not need to be there.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: He really needs to take the question down here—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: —and rewrite it.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Sit down, you're not ready yet.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: You've got to learn to be quiet in this place. You are very loud. Now, the member for Norwood is clearly out of order, commenting in his question. I think he really needs to go away, rewrite it and allow somebody else to ask a proper question.

Mr MARSHALL: Thanks for that advice. I have written it, Madam Speaker.

The Hon. K.O. Foley: Third time lucky.

Mr MARSHALL: Third time lucky. Will the minister update the house on the APY lands youth strategy and can the minister please advise the house why there is still no strategic plan to help young people on the APY lands, three years after this policy was first announced by your government?

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) (16:25): Thank you—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: And you tried so hard, member for Norwood, reading the question over and over again—practising, practising, you tried so hard.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: You tried so hard.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition, order!

An honourable member: Come on, Sophia.

The SPEAKER: Order! Thank you. The minister for Aboriginal affairs.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: The first point I would like to make is that I am very happy to address the member's question. There is one point that he makes that I don't accept which is that, I, according to him—I would like to see evidence of that—put some strategy on hold. What I am very happy to report to the house is the most recent report by the Coordinator-General, Brian Gleeson, for whom I have enormous respect. This is the release of the fourth six-monthly report.

The report contains nine recommendations, including one about youth action plans. I am pleased to report that the Amata youth action plan, for instance, has been refreshed, following consultation with the Amata community in June. The focus of the plan—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: —they don't like the answer—is to improve the coordination and delivery—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: —of youth services. With this mind, a directory of youth services will soon be released and a monthly program of activities will be placed in the community. Our commitment to young people starts with things like this—community safety. It starts with education—upgrading the school at Amata. It starts with health—the lowest Indigenous infant mortality rate in Australia. It starts with mental health—introducing a visiting mental health service to the—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr MARSHALL: Point of order, Madam Speaker.

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr MARSHALL: My point of order is relevance. I specifically asked about the APY youth strategy, first announced by the government in 2008. I want to know where it is and when it is going to be delivered.

The SPEAKER: Thank you. I direct the minister back to the substance of the question. Have you finished?

The Hon. G. Portolesi: Yes.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Norwood.

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