Equal Opportunity Commissioner calls for more funding as office buckles under budget strain

The state’s Equal Opportunity Commissioner says her office is close to breaking point, revealing South Australia dedicates less funding to the anti-discrimination body than the country’s smallest state.

• Behind closed doors: SA’s domestic violence epidemic
• Terror trolls and a wave of hate

South Australia’s Equal Opportunity Commissioner says her office is struggling to meet the demand for help fighting discrimination cases because its funding has been slashed and an urgent cash injection is needed.

The situation is so dire that commissioner Niki Vincent is effectively working two jobs after she was unable to renew the contract of the commission’s most senior lawyer in December.

Dr Vincent has been filling in the role of senior conciliation officer this year but warns the situation is not sustainable.

She has written to Attorney-General Vickie Chapman seeking an extra $400,000 a year.

Ms Chapman told The Advertiser that any reduction in funding had “occurred wholly within” the term of the former Labor Government and the new Liberal Government “did not cut” the Commission’s funding in the latest State Budget.

Ms Chapman said Dr Vincent’s submission would be considered as part of preparations for the 2019-20 State Budget.

Equal Opportunity Commissioner Niki Vincent.

SA’s Equal Opportunity Commission receives $995,000 a year from the State Government, down from about $2 million 10 years go.

Dr Vincent said it was the lowest funding level in the nation. In comparison, Tasmania’s commission receives $1.3 million, Western Australia’s $4 million and Victoria’s $6.5 million.

She described the funding approach over the past decade, under the former government, as “death by a thousand cuts” and said the latest State Budget suggested further cuts were planned.

In response, a Labor spokeswoman said only that Dr Vincent “presents a compelling argument for increased assistance and we hope the State Government considers this request”.

SA’s commission fielded 520 inquiries last financial year and 211 formal complaints. The areas of most concern are disability discrimination and sexual harassment.

The case load is managed by 6.5 full-time equivalent staff.

Two have been redeployed from elsewhere in government and are only funded until the end of June.

Dr Vincent said it was impossible to cover the workload when staff took sick leave which meant progress stalled until they could return.

Without an urgent funding boost, Dr Vincent feared “there won’t be anyone left except me”.

“When I came on board (in May 2016) I was assured that there would be no additional funding cuts and then another funding cut was imposed last year,” she said.

“Obviously other jurisdictions value the work of preventing discrimination and promoting equal opportunity more than the South Australian Government has been.”

Dr Vincent said the current funding levels meant her office could not afford to update its “old, outdated” IT system which “really needs an overhaul” or spare the time to contribute reports or recommendations to government on proposed policies or laws.

Efforts to educate or prevent discrimination also suffered without enough staff, she said.

“There’s so many things that we can’t do, missed opportunities … because we don’t have the staff and time to do that,” she said.

“We’re very, very aware that we’re using public money and we need to use it in the most effective and efficient way we can.

“This work is so important, we really are at the coal face seeing people who are distressed. It’s tough work and I just feel that it needs to be valued.”

Follow @Lauren__Dailey