Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Can the minister explain to the House why the public servant she appointed to replace Major General Chalmers as operational head of the Northern Territory emergency intervention has left after just three months in the job? Why did the minister not make an announcement about his departure when it happened in June? Is it true that this leadership position has been abolished, thereby dramatically undermining the effectiveness of the Northern Territory emergency intervention, and does this not mean the effective end of the intervention and the government’s surrender to the forces that created this social catastrophe in the first place?

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Warringah for his question and particularly for the opportunity that it gives me to reiterate this government’s commitment to the Northern Territory emergency response. This government and I think I can say every member of this parliament understand that we do have a national responsibility to address what is an emergency in many parts of the Northern Territory.

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No leader!

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You sacked him!

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I might just say to all of those opposite who are interjecting that probably the most significant indication of our commitment to the Northern Territory emergency response is not about one position; it is about dedicating $800 million from this budget to make sure that the Northern Territory emergency response continues over the next three years—$800 million that was not provided by the previous government but provided in this budget by this government to make sure that we have the funding for additional police to make sure that we are able to fund night patrols in remote country communities in the Northern Territory and to make sure that we continue the program of income management. It is now the case that 15,000 people in the Northern Territory are being income managed. As a result of that income management we are seeing more children getting better fed. These are very difficult issues that we have introduced and we intend to continue them, as is evidenced in our budgetary commitment.