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

When this works well, there is no point in saying, 'Well done, Nige,' because it really does not have a lot to do with me. This is a community driven initiative. It uses employment from the communities; it has 100 per cent Aboriginal employment, and the supervisors are all from the communities. It has been community driven in those places where we have engaged with the cultural authority. I would like to commend the work and assistance of Dr Djiniyini Gondarra, who has made significant impacts and has even gone as far as to declare that parents' cultural responsibilities should extend to school attendance. We have had many conversations with other community leaders, and, again, I thank them for their assistance in all of these matters.

Hopefully this should change how we all approach this matter. It is about empowering local communities. It is about harnessing this task to a cultural authority. That is the only way we are going to get on top of it. (Time expired)