Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (NT, Country Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Hansard source

Again, you have contradicted yourself in one breath by saying that no, we're not all disadvantaged but that, as a group, we are disadvantaged. In terms of the evidence, I can refer to my previous research as the director of Indigenous research at the Centre for Independent Studies. The evidence, in fact, highlights that the further you move away from a capital city—and you might not understand this, given where you live—the more disadvantaged Australians become, and yes, that includes Indigenous Australians. Our most disadvantaged are those living in the remotest parts of this country—certainly not the Noel Pearsons of the world who have been responsible for over $500 million of government funds and taxpayer funds to alleviate disadvantage—but certainly those in the remotest parts of Australia are our most disadvantaged Australians. But you're suggesting that, as a group, we all require special measures. Is that what the government is suggesting?