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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-09-28 Daily Xml
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APY LANDS, CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (14:41): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Regional Development, representing the Premier, a question on the former Premier's task force resulting from the Mullighan inquiry into the APY lands.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: When the Premier of South Australia released the report of the Mullighan inquiry into child sexual abuse on APY lands on 6 May 2008, he also announced the establishment of a task force to respond to its recommendations and to drive the response to the Mullighan inquiry into child sexual abuse on the APY lands. Over the course of the next six months the task force met on nine occasions. Since then it has met far less frequently.

At the time the Premier explained that the task force would be located within DPC AARD, would comprise state and commonwealth representatives, and would be chaired by the executive director of AARD. Placing the task force within DPC was a demonstration of this government's earlier commitment to 'raise the importance' of issues on the APY lands 'to the highest level within the public sector'. That was in a ministerial statement made on 6 May.

Ministerial oversight for the government response to the Mullighan inquiry recommendations sit with the Minister for Families and Communities, and at the time of the establishment of the task force the Hon. Jay Weatherill was overseeing both AARD and the Department for Families and Communities. Of course, this is no longer the case. In late July 2008 the Premier had a cabinet reshuffle, and shortly thereafter changes were made to senior management positions across the state Public Service. The effect of those changes was that ministerial responsibility for the Mullighan inquiry is now no longer under the direct control of the responsible minister, and the chair of the task force has changed.

On 16 April 2009 the then minister for Aboriginal affairs, the Hon. Jay Weatherill, advised this parliament that the meetings were now chaired by the executive director of DPC AARD on behalf of the Department for Families and Communities, and any questions regarding the implementation for the recommendations arising from the Mullighan inquiry should, in fact, be directed to the Minister for Families and Communities. These statements suggest that the responsibility for driving the government's response to the Mullighan inquiry is now split across two departments, DPC and Families and Communities. This raises some concerns that the arrangement is undermining the government's ability to implement key recommendations in a timely, coordinated and responsive fashion. My questions are:

1. Does the Premier have concerns that only 10 of the recommendations that were accepted by this government, of a total of 46 but an accepted total of 45, have been completed?

2. Is the Premier concerned that his 2008 commitment to 'raise the importance of issues on the APY lands' has now been downgraded from the aforementioned highest level within the public sector into the abyss of bureaucracy and buck-passing?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Public Sector Management, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister for Gambling) (14:45): I thank the honourable member for her questions and very lengthy explanation. I will refer those to the appropriate minister or ministers in another place and bring back a response. By way of some very brief background information, I have been advised that, under section 11A of the Commission of Inquiry (Children in State Care and Children on APY Lands) Act 2004, the Minister for Families and Communities is required to table an annual report updating parliament on the government's progress in implementing 45 of the 46 recommendations accepted wholly or in part by the government.

I am advised that the only recommendation not accepted was No. 46, which was about the construction of corrections facilities on the lands. I have been advised that the last annual report in November 2010 confirmed that 10 recommendations had been fully implemented and another 35 recommendations were in progress or were longer-term programs.

I am further advised that, since November 2010, a further 17 recommendations had been completed, bringing the total to 27 completed recommendations. The remaining 18 recommendations, I have been advised, are progressing towards full implementation or are, in effect, long-term programs, such as the 10-year housing program, which, obviously, is not going to be able to be completed within that period of time.

As I said, I will refer the member's important questions to the appropriate ministers in another place and bring back a detailed response.

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