Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator. Obviously, Senator Gallagher might be in a position to answer in a little more detail in relation to this matter. Can I say first that violence has no place in any community in any part of Australia. The Prime Minister and the government work in partnership with the Northern Territory government, and our expectation is that that perspective—that violence is unacceptable in any community—is something that all of us can work towards.

I understand that the Prime Minister has engaged with the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory and emphasised the importance of prioritising community safety. When it comes to broader issues facing Central Australia, I think—as you would know, Senator Nampijinpa Price—there are no quick fixes and no simple solutions. We have a four-year plan to improve community safety and wellbeing in Central Australia which was developed with the Aboriginal leadership group who are providing advice to the government on what will improve outcomes in Central Australia. We want to see action in partnership with the community and long-term solutions to health, education, jobs, housing and justice.

In relation to the specific question about, I think, a program that had been announced and why a decision was made to allocate some of that to connectivity, I will seek advice and, if I have something further to add, I will return to the chamber or provide that advice to you. But I would say this to you: obviously connectivity is a very important part of enabling economic development and enabling the provision of services. I think we see in many parts of regional Australia that lesser connectivity leads to poorer outcomes, both social and economic. (Time expired)