Child Protection Department

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee) (14:56): My supplementary is to the Minister for Child Protection. Was the minister successful in delivering all of the $14 million of savings that were required of her department in the 2020-21 financial year as set out in the government's first three budgets? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order: this has ceased to be a supplementary.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Well, look—

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! I take the point of order, but let's regard it as a separate question then. The member for Lee was actually on his feet before anyone else was, so it is a new question.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: I am most obliged, Mr Deputy Speaker. Thank you. In the first budget handed down by the Liberal government, the government required $13.8 million of expenditure cuts across the Department for Child Protection. In the next budget, the 2019-20 budget, the government required $20 million of cuts over the four years of that budget's forward estimates, and in the 2020-21 budget the government required a further $18 million of expenditure cuts from the Department for Child Protection. In the 2020-21 financial year, this totals $14 million alone.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Lee, I will remind you, and you would know only too well, that you should seek leave to introduce facts.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Yes, which I did, sir.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: You did. Excellent.

The Hon. R. SANDERSON (Adelaide—Minister for Child Protection) (14:58): Obviously, there was a lot of detail in that question. I will take that on notice.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Kaurna. It sounded like—

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! My comment in relation to that question is that it sounded very much like an estimates question. The minister has taken it on notice.