Nova Peris (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Senator Scullion. I refer the minister to the Prime Minister's pre-election promise that he would be a Prime Minister for Aboriginal affairs. I also refer to the Prime Minister's pre-election promise that:

… we won't do anything that's a breach of faith with the public.

Why has the Prime Minister breached faith with Australians by cutting more than half a billion dollars from Indigenous affairs programs?

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

Thank you very much for verballing me there, Senator. One of the things on this side is a rule about accuracy and not about fantasy.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Scullion, just resume your seat. When the excitement dies down I will ask Senator Scullion to continue the answer. When there is silence we will proceed. Senator Scullion.

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

Thank you, Mr President. This is what we actually said:

The Coalition will continue the current level of funding expended on Closing the Gap activities, but will examine these costly programmes to make sure that they are directly working to meet the Closing the Gap targets.

That is exactly what we have done. We have conducted a review of the programs. We have decided that there is an awful lot of red tape and that there is a lot of waste and mismanagement. I am sure the good senator would understand that. For those on the other side, this was a part of their legacy. We have amalgamated those processes into five programs, five streamlined programs, that are going to be able to deliver—

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Scullion, just resume your seat. Senator Scullion, continue.

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

It is going to deliver a rational and coherent approach to Indigenous affairs that has not been seen in the past. We have actually had over 150 programs rationalised into five program areas that are going to be—

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Scullion, resume your seat. Senator Scullion, you are entitled to be heard in silence, continue.

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

So now we have five streamlined programs that not only are people going to be able to understand clearly but will be delivered without having any impact on the services on the ground. So any of the savings that we have made across this budget are not going to have an impact on the ground and that is the most important priority. We promised, as a part of our election platform, not what the senator was suggesting but exactly as I quoted. We looked very carefully at the costly programs, we reviewed them to come up with a better process and that is exactly what we have done.

Nova Peris (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I refer to the coalition's pre-election promise that a coalition government would maintain funding to close the gap in Indigenous health. Can the minister confirm that ripping $125 million from Indigenous health over the next three years is a broken promise that will widen, not close, the gap? Why are some of our most vulnerable Australians paying the price for this government's broken promise?

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

Whilst this is not directly in my portfolio area—it is actually in the portfolio area of my colleague—I am more than happy to take this question. If you are referring to the budget papers you indicated, it is actually $121.8 million, not $125 million—so much for the detail. We believe that we cannot keep doing what we have done in the past. The senator herself would understand better than most—or she should—that we cannot keep doing what we are doing. The waste, the mismanagement and the red tape are clogging the ability to close the gap. The gap under those opposite, I would remind them, was in fact not closing; it has in fact widened in many areas we are now focusing on, particularly the area of school attendance. It is our efforts to get rid of the red of tape and the mismanagement— (Time expired)

Nova Peris (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister confirm that the Baya Gawiy Children and Family Centre in Fitzroy Crossing now faces closure due to the coalition government's decision to cut funding to this service? Can the minister advise the Senate how many of the other 38 children and family centres for Indigenous early education will close under this minister's stewardship?

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

The 38 family and children centres across this nation are emblematic of the chaotic approach of those opposite. They promised and built some 28 of these centres. Was there any contingency for actually staffing the centres? No, we do not worry about that. We will just build a building and suddenly it will be solved magically. Of course we know now that that simply is not going to happen. There was no contingency at all for this. The Commonwealth government involvement was simply to build—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! On my left! Senator Wong is on her feet.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order: relevance. This is a serious question. The minister was asked how many of the 38 children and family centres for Indigenous early education would close. I would ask him to return to the question.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The minister has 20 seconds remaining. I do remind the minister of the question.

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

Thank you, Mr President. None will close as a consequence of any action from us. There were additional funds available beyond the bill for states and territories to meet their obligations in regard to staffing these centres. In many of these centres in many of the states and territories— (Time expired)