Ms CARNEY - 2006-10-19
In addition to the Commonwealth Grants Commission funding of $95m per year, your government receives from other federal grants something in the vicinity of an extra $98m per year. You have not spent your $95m; you have only spent $4.7m. Does not today’s announcement have more to do with rescuing your reputation so that you are seen to be doing something on indigenous affairs rather than coming up with real, fair dinkum solutions?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, in responding to the question from the Opposition Leader, real solutions are houses for Aboriginal people living in remote areas of the Northern Territory. I make no apologies for a real solution. I did not hear the figures that the Opposition Leader quoted, however we recently released a report with a tick by some very significant members of the Australian community - people like Professor Ken Wiltshire and Saul Eastlake from the ANZ Bank - who verified that probably just under 50% of the Territory’s budget goes to providing services for Aboriginal people. I do not back off from that. That is money that is well spent and we have to ensure that it is reaching its target. To say that this government has done nothing for Aboriginal Territorians is rubbish.
The Opposition Leader needs to have some credibility when she mouths the words of her federal colleagues. We are proudly spending money where it is needed. That is the whole basis of the Grants Commission. We will continue, despite the carping and negativity of the opposition, to work with Aboriginal Territorians to achieve better outcomes.
We will see changes to local government and extensions of secondary education further into the bush. We will ensure there are police posts and police stations across the Territory for safer communities. We will, despite the carping of the opposition, build houses and more houses in the bush.
This is an opportunity for the Opposition Leader to join in working for Aboriginal Territorians, or stand on the sidelines carping and being irrelevant. All we hear at this stage is carping.
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, in responding to the question from the Opposition Leader, real solutions are houses for Aboriginal people living in remote areas of the Northern Territory. I make no apologies for a real solution. I did not hear the figures that the Opposition Leader quoted, however we recently released a report with a tick by some very significant members of the Australian community - people like Professor Ken Wiltshire and Saul Eastlake from the ANZ Bank - who verified that probably just under 50% of the Territory’s budget goes to providing services for Aboriginal people. I do not back off from that. That is money that is well spent and we have to ensure that it is reaching its target. To say that this government has done nothing for Aboriginal Territorians is rubbish.
The Opposition Leader needs to have some credibility when she mouths the words of her federal colleagues. We are proudly spending money where it is needed. That is the whole basis of the Grants Commission. We will continue, despite the carping and negativity of the opposition, to work with Aboriginal Territorians to achieve better outcomes.
We will see changes to local government and extensions of secondary education further into the bush. We will ensure there are police posts and police stations across the Territory for safer communities. We will, despite the carping of the opposition, build houses and more houses in the bush.
This is an opportunity for the Opposition Leader to join in working for Aboriginal Territorians, or stand on the sidelines carping and being irrelevant. All we hear at this stage is carping.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016