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

I thank Senator McKenzie for the question. Machado-Joseph Disease, or MJD, is a rare neurodegenerative condition that is, sadly, prevalent amongst Aboriginal people in parts of the Northern Territory. Recently, I declined to approve an inappropriate Northern Territory Aboriginal Benefits Account grant of $10 million that the former minister had promised to the MJD Foundation. This would have been in addition to a similar grant of over $6 million in Aboriginal Benefits Account funding made in 2010.

The MJD Foundation said this grant would cover operational costs for years to come. The Aboriginal Benefits Account is Aboriginal money. This is their own discretionary money. It is a legacy fund that is invested on behalf of Aboriginal people to earn interest to support one-off Aboriginal projects. The $10 million for this grant was to be invested elsewhere to generate interest for recurrent operational costs. My department has indicated it is not aware of any other example of such special treatment.

Whilst I declined to approve this inappropriate grant, I made a commitment that I would find alternative funding to ensure that the sufferers of MJD did not miss out because of the financial mismanagement of the former government. I have done so. I have been able to offer the foundation up to $500,000 a year, for up to three years, to cover the direct costs of therapeutic services to help sufferers and their families. This money comes from the Commonwealth government—not from Aboriginal discretionary funds—as it should. We are in discussions with the MJD Foundation and I hope they will accept this offer. However, if they do not, we will stick with our commitment and find another provider. Aboriginal people in remote communities must be able to expect that they will receive the same assistance that you and I would expect in the cities and towns across this country.