Emergency Relief Support Grants

Hansard ID: HANSARD-1323879322-132911

Hansard session: Fifty-Eighth Parliament, First Session (58-1)

Emergency Relief Support Grants

Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (11:49:20):

My question is directed to the Minister for Multiculturalism. Funding for the Multicultural NSW Emergency Relief Support Grants that help vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers expires tomorrow, 30 June. What is the Minister doing to ensure resumed Federal funding or continued State funding in this area?

Mr Chris Minns:

Why do they expire tomorrow? Why do they expire before the budget?

The SPEAKER:

The Premier will come to order.

Mr MARK COURE:

I will start again. What is the Minister doing to ensure resumed Federal funding or continued State funding in this area?

Mr Chris Minns:

You've got a hide. You didn't fund it, and now you want to know why.

Mr Mark Speakman:

Point of order: The question is directed to the Minister. The question is not to the Premier, but the Premier consistently coaches his Ministers and tries to—

The SPEAKER:

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. There is no point of order.

Mr STEPHEN KAMPER (RockdaleMinister for Small Business, Minister for Lands and Property, Minister for Multiculturalism, and Minister for Sport) (11:50:30):

— It is really interesting, because yesterday I saw the shadow Minister for Multiculturalism going over there to be coached on how to ask a question—and he asked the wrong Minister. He was there on a number of occasions, asking these guys, "What do I do? How do I ask a question?" He has done it again today. This time—

Mr Mark Coure:

Point of order: To begin with, he is the Minister—not me. But the second point is—

The SPEAKER:

That is not a point of order. It is an observation.

Mr Mark Coure:

My point of order is under Standing Order 129, relevance.

The SPEAKER:

The Minister has the call.

Mr STEPHEN KAMPER:

I was merely congratulating the shadow Minister for asking a question of the right person today. The Leader of the Opposition asked a question of my chief of staff. What is going on in this place? But I thank the member for Oatley for his question. Supporting vulnerable refugees should always be a bipartisan objective—always. For the benefit of the House, let me explain how that support is provided. The Commonwealth Government is responsible for providing assistance to asylum seekers and other temporary visa holders. It does so through support services delivered by the Department of Home Affairs and the Status Resolution Support Services program, known as the SRSS. Funding and eligibility for the SRSS program was significantly reduced when Peter Dutton was the Minister for Home Affairs. It was unfortunate, but that is the truth. Some $38 million has been allocated for the 2023—

Mr Alister Henskens:

Point of order—

Mr STEPHEN KAMPER:

Mr Speaker, I am trying to answer the question.

The SPEAKER:

I understand that. The Minister will resume his seat. The Manager of Opposition Business rises on a point of order. The Clerk will stop the clock. What is the member's point of order?

Mr Alister Henskens:

My point of order is taken under Standing Order 129, relevance. The Minister was asked what he is doing. He has not addressed the question. What is he doing to continue those grants?

The SPEAKER:

The Minister is not being directly relevant to the question. I am sure that the Minister will be relevant in his answer.

Mr STEPHEN KAMPER:

I am trying very hard to give the full context so that Opposition members can understand it. As you would appreciate, Mr Speaker, I have seen the confusion—

The SPEAKER:

The member for Wahroonga will come to order.

Mr STEPHEN KAMPER:

I am trying to give some details so that members opposite can appreciate the issue. I am trying to provide a fulsome answer to the shadow Minister for Multiculturalism.

The SPEAKER:

The member for Dubbo will come to order.

Mr STEPHEN KAMPER:Time expired

Some $38 million has been allocated for 2023-24, compared with $300 million in 2015-16, because people seeking asylum who are ineligible— [.]

The SPEAKER:

Order! Members will come to order. I call the member for Oatley to order for the first time.