Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Senator Scullion. It is about Aboriginal stolen wages. The Senate inquiry into stolen wages in 2006 found that the Commonwealth played a role in controlling the finances of Aboriginal people through its regulation of, access to and payment of social security payments.

In fact, the Commonwealth amended its legislation to enable allowances to be paid indirectly to a third party. Records from Queensland and WA suggest that Commonwealth authorities knew of the misappropriation of endowments and pensions but did not introduce procedures to prevent misuse nor to ensure that those receiving an endowment and pensioners received their entitlement, as mandated by federal legislation. Do you acknowledge that payments were taken? Does the Commonwealth accept any responsibility for these stolen allowances? If so, what is the Commonwealth doing about it? If not, why not?