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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-06-19 Daily Xml
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Social Services

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (14:49): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Human Services regarding funding for the employment, disability, housing and homeless sectors.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.E. HANSON: Recently, the shadow minister for human services conducted a round table with stakeholders from the employment, disability and housing and homelessness sectors. Stakeholders are extremely concerned that no funding commitment has been provided beyond the 2017-18 financial year. My questions are twofold:

1. Will the minister update the council on when these community organisations can expect the funding certainty they desperately need to support those South Australians most in need?

2. Will the minister update the council on what steps she has taken to prevent the loss of jobs and services in and from community organisations and service providers, given the impending funding deadline that has left many providers uncertain of their job security after next week and many clients anxious as to the viability of the services they utilise?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (14:50): I thank the honourable member for that question. I've just responded in relation to the homelessness and housing providers in relation to the signing of the new agreement, so that funding should continue. Those payments are being organised as we speak. In fact, I probably let the cat out of the bag on Friday when Shelter SA contacted me via social media and I let them know, because they are very good at getting the message out to their stakeholders.

I was actually contacted by several providers who were invited to that particular meeting, held on Monday by the member for Hurtle Vale, and I think the Leader of the Opposition attended that meeting as well. The feedback that I had from the meeting was that a number of providers were being put under political pressure to be coerced into something they were actually very uncomfortable about and that they were, in effect, being used by the Labor Party for their own purposes. So that's the feedback that I've had from organisations.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Members of the opposition may well laugh, but that's the feedback I've had from several people from several sectors. In relation to the disability organisations, I'm not quite sure how that fits in to the scheme of things because there is a process in place that relates to Disability SA, NDIS, and that's not dependent on 30 June.

That is an ongoing arrangement that where the services haven't transitioned to the NDIS as yet, those providers continue to be funded under the previous system. If the honourable member would like to give me specific examples of specific service providers who are concerned, then I would be more than happy to take those up to resolve those issues rather than perhaps using them as a political football for the benefit of the Labor Party.

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