Rowan Ramsey (Grey, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It may have been a budget item, but it was unfortunately due to the incompetence of the previous government that the building could not be established or put in place. I also thank the minister, through you Deputy Speaker, for the extension of the income management program into Ceduna, both the voluntary and the exploration and development of the system that leads to some directed welfare payments. I think this is making an appreciable difference in that community, along with a whole raft of other things that are being done there. As the member for Lingiari would he aware—he has been to Ceduna before—the Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs recently visited Ceduna and Coober Pedy, both of which have taken a very proactive stance in the management of alcohol damage in their local communities.

The government has received the Forrest report. There is a quite wide-ranging number of recommendations in the Forrest report, some around the issue of the healthy welfare card, but many more. Obviously, communities in my electorate like Ceduna, Coober Pedy, Port Augusta and Port Lincoln are interested in what the government's approach may be in responding to that report.

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