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

The Indigenous Procurement Policy is driving employment and participation. Almost all of the 956 new businesses who have won contracts, have won government contracts for the first time. This is their very first opportunity. They've got an average workforce of over 40 per cent. Given the Indigenous population makes up three per cent of the workforce, it means that we are now employing Indigenous jobseekers at 13 times the rates available in the workforce. Our IPP has been a complete game changer for Indigenous communities and it's leading to a new generation of Indigenous entrepreneurs.

In the last census we saw a 30 per cent increase in Indigenous businesses and only a one per cent increase in mainstream businesses. That's an absolutely outstanding result that shows the Indigenous Entrepreneurs Package, which the coalition took to the last election and which includes the Indigenous Procurement Policy at its centrepiece, is working and delivering for our first Australians.