Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

If this was a strategy by the Australian Labor Party to divert attention from the horrendous difficulty that Senator Dastyari is in at the moment, with his failure to answer very reasonable questions put to him, then it has failed completely. Senator Scullion has been an exemplary Minister for Indigenous Affairs. And, more than being a good minister, I know that Senator Scullion through all of his life has been a great friend of Indigenous people right across Australia but particularly in the Northern Territory. There are allegations being made about Senator Scullion's answering of questions today. I thought he answered every question exactly. He answered the questions that were asked and he gave a bit more information than he was asked for. He indicated clearly the course of events that occurred.

The allegation is made that somehow Senator Scullion as the minister and as a Northern Territory senator should have been aware of what was happening in this particular centre. As I recall it, this centre was set up by the Northern Territory government when Labor was in charge—I might be wrong, but I think it was when Labor was in charge. They set up this centre. The opposition are accusing Senator Scullion of not knowing what was happening. I wonder aloud: when Senator Peris was a senator for the Northern Territory was she aware of this, and if she was why didn't she raise it, and if she was not aware of it then why don't you blame her the same way that you blame Senator Scullion? Senator Trish Crossin, who was a wonderful senator for the Northern Territory—