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

I thank the senator for the question. As I have indicated in earlier answers today, we are delaying the outcomes of the rounds so that we can move in, consult and lift capacity for those small Indigenous businesses which clearly are having some difficulty—and which I want to get the job—and speak carefully with the 75 providers to provide front-line service that currently do not have an application in because they have put a joint application in under either another name or another entity. To ensure that we provide the capacity for those front-line services to be delivered by organisations that employ Aboriginal people or, in fact, are Indigenous organisations themselves is absolutely important. That is exactly the reason that we are doing this. The congress write me letters all the time—I do not have one on this particular issue, but I am more than happy to assure them, as I have assured this place, that this will have a positive impact on front-line services.