The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: I seek leave to make a brief explanation before addressing a question to the Leader of the Government in this place, who is the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, on the topic of the First Nations South Australian Voice.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: As I think all members would be aware, on 13 June this year the first meeting of the 12-member state advisory council of the Voice has met and elected their presiding members, and I congratulate Tahlia Wanganeen and Leeroy Bilney for that position that they now hold. That statewide body of the Voice is made of the six local Voices, each of which provide two members to our statewide body. As we know, each year the First Nations Voice of South Australia will address this parliament. My questions to the minister are: when will that happen and what will the process be?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector): I thank the honourable member for her question. As the honourable member pointed out, earlier this year elections were held and there were 46 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people elected by their communities to represent bodies across the state on six regional Voices. Those six regional Voices then elected two presiding members for each one of those Voices, those 12 members making up the South Australian statewide Voice.

I understand there have been around 14 meetings, as of about a month ago, of both the local Voices and a number of meetings of the statewide Voice since the election. I want to thank the hardworking officials, a very small but dedicated team in the Voice secretariat, who are doing everything, from the organisation of meetings in very, very remote parts of South Australia, from booking halls and having IT support up and running to organising meetings of the statewide Voice and getting people here.

The Voice is busy setting up their processes and procedures about how they will interact with government and parliament. I understand there have been a number of meetings particularly with the Department of the Premier and Cabinet. Of course, one of the legislative functions of the Voice is to meet at least twice a year with the full cabinet and at least twice a year with I think it used to be called the senior management council—the group of all the chief executives within the Public Service in South Australia.

I understand planning is well progressed in relation to the first address to a joint sitting of parliament. From my last update from the secretariat to the Voice, I think there was discussion underway to liaise with the parliament to look towards the end of November possibly for that first joint sitting. There will be negotiations obviously with the officers of the parliament about the process exactly about how that will happen, but I certainly hope and look forward to that occurring at the end of this year.

The other major thing that the secretariat supporting the statewide Voice and the statewide Voice themselves are considering is setting up areas of priority that they will want to talk to parliament on, particularly legislation, because of course the Voice has a legislated right to speak to the parliament on any legislation that they see fit that affects Aboriginal people.

I think there have been at least a couple of bills that the statewide Voice has already provided feedback on. I think there was a preventative health bill that feedback was provided on that was taken into account, and as the Voice becomes further operational I look forward to further contributions on areas that concern them.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: Supplementary: has the Voice taken into consideration the child safety and support bill out for consultation at the moment?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector): I thank the honourable member for her question. I am happy to go and check. I am not sure. Another area that I do remember the Voice has had some involvement and will have continuing involvement with is the Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence, headed by Commissioner Stott Despoja.

I know that there has been a lot of work that that royal commission has done to engage Aboriginal people and particularly the SA Voice, so I am happy to check on that particular piece of legislation, but it is pleasing that there is engagement not just on legislation but on many areas of significant policy development that are of concern to Aboriginal people.