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

It is beyond the ken of the Commonwealth government to dictate to the Western Australian government about whether they close communities or not. But I would make this point.

Senator Siewert interjecting—

They may well blame it on me, and that is not too difficult to do. It is a fact that they are already paid through the financial assistance grants which are indexed against both Indigenous people and against remoteness. The Western Australian government and the South Australian government—every jurisdiction around this country—gets that money already. I am not sure where that money goes in Western Australia and South Australia and other places. It is not reasonable to ask for the Commonwealth government to then further subsidise their payments to white people in leafy suburbs somewhere else when they should be making those payments to the most needy constituents. However, I will always work with the jurisdictions, including a very positive working relationship with the Western Australian government, to ensure that our first Australians get the very best deal they can.