Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

The government won't be supporting the amendment proposed by Senator Thorpe because it has the effect of extending this particular provision for only a further year instead of the 10 years proposed by the government. The reason the government don't support the one-year extension is that we don't believe it will provide certainty to communities or to state governments and it has the risk of delaying critical public infrastructure on Indigenous lands for the benefit of Indigenous Australians. We think that the bill still does retain the temporary status of the provision, but it does so for a time period that allows certainty and continued support through infrastructure for the benefit of Indigenous Australians.