Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2019-06-19 Daily Xml

Contents

Homelessness

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (15:24): My question is to the Minister for Human Services. In the answer the Minister for Human Services gave today, she noted that in Connections Week in May 2018 there were 143 people identified as sleeping rough in the City of Adelaide. That was a project with the Don Dunstan Foundation. Is the minister aware that the current data for the current month from the Don Dunstan Foundation shows the number of people who are known to be sleeping rough in the city at 227, up from 167 the previous month?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (15:24): I am very familiar with those figures, and I am happy to once again clarify.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Mr President, I have already responded to these, so if the honourable member doesn't want to listen to my answer again then that is his prerogative. What he is talking about is a particular measure called the by-name list, which is maintained by the Don Dunstan Foundation with support and advice from the service providers. The data that I was talking about was Connections Week, which is taken over a period in time. It is a snapshot, so it needs to be compared to another snapshot. What he is referring to is the by-name list, which was added to following Connections Week. Those people have been—

The Hon. K.J. Maher: How do you explain it going up 50 people in the last month? Fifty in the last month alone.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Mr President, I'm sorry the honourable member doesn't want to hear—

The PRESIDENT: Leader of the Opposition! Leader of the Opposition, I would actually like to hear the minister's answer.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Minister.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Ridgway, don't descend.