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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-11-28 Daily Xml
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Question Time

National Partnership Agreement on Remote Indigenous Housing

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:18): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Human Services a question regarding the National Partnership Agreement on Remote Indigenous Housing.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: We are nearly six months on from the expiration of the last housing agreement between the state of South Australia and the commonwealth and the South Australian remote Aboriginal housing funds do not appear to be any closer to being secured. The opposition has been advised that the minister met with federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Nigel Scullion, in the company of Premier Steven Marshall, and during that meeting the minister verbally accepted an offer of federal funding for a one-year term, providing it was matched by the state government.

We are further informed that, shortly after this meeting occurred, the federal minister, minister Scullion, wrote to the South Australian minister extending that offer to a three-year agreement. Unfortunately, over the last few weeks both the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, and now more recently minister Nigel Scullion have ruled out any more funding from the federal government, which was previously almost $300 million over the last 10 years. My questions to the minister are:

1. What is the reason the minister declined to accept a three-year funding deal from the federal government?

2. Does the minister think a one or even a three-year funding agreement is in the best interests of remote Aboriginal communities given the previous agreement was secured for 10 years?

3. Who is wrong when it comes to stating that this agreement is still being negotiated? Is it the federal government or is it the state government?

4. Has the South Australian minister's failure to act, accepting a three-year funding deal, lost the potential of some $45 million for some of South Australia's most vulnerable people?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (14:20): I thank the honourable member for his question. Most of the content of his question is incorrect. I stand by my previous responses in this parliament.

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