Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Community Services) Share this | Hansard source

We are approaching negotiations with the Northern Territory government on this issue. The Northern Territory government have undertaken to ensure that they take care of the teachers. They will be in a position to assist in the matter of infrastructure—tables, desks and those sorts of things. We have also put in some funding for capital and infrastructure and those sorts of arrangements. Again, we will not be in an ideal position to know exactly what sort of expansion in infrastructure is needed until those assessments are made. We already acknowledge that in circumstances like those at Wadeye, where a lot more people suddenly turn up for school, we do need to have those pieces of infrastructure in place. Again, a fundamental part of our answer is in the partnership approach with the Northern Territory. We are discussing the circumstances with the Northern Territory, because they are responsible for providing those materials, and they have said that they will supply those materials. We will stand there and be ready to increase our contribution, but we have already made an offer and a contribution in terms of infrastructure.