Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Bartlett, for the supplementary question. First of all, I do not think the figures in Budget Paper No. 2 actually include all the initiatives that have been targeted at Aboriginal disadvantage. As you well know, a whole range of measures come through other programs. It seems to me that your central point is: are we focusing on the Northern Territory to the exclusion of other Indigenous communities? The answer to that is clearly no. A whole range of policies that this government is pursuing go to the heart of Indigenous disadvantage. They include, obviously, a whole range of health initiatives that are being rolled out across Australia, and in my view one of the most fundamental is our commitment to early childhood education, preschool education and child care. I think what we have failed to do in the past was to intervene early in supporting Indigenous families, waiting until kids were at school— (Time expired)

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.