Andrew Bartlett (Queensland, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

My questions are to the Minister representing the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Indigenous Affairs, who I understand is Senator Santoro today. My question relates to the reported comments by the minister for health proposing administrators get wide-ranging powers to run Indigenous communities and ‘that a form of paternalism is unavoidable if Aboriginal communities are to be well run’. Do these comments reflect the government’s official policy towards Indigenous Australians? Is the federal government already attempting to force Aboriginal community councils to accept the appointment of administrators? Can the minister confirm that the Pukatja community, the largest community on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands, is facing a complete shutdown of services on 30 June, with FaCSIA yet to provide full written details of a new funding agreement? Will this and other funding agreements with Aboriginal councils from the federal government require appointments of administrators or the replacement of existing Indigenous workers?