Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

) ( ): My question is to Senator Scullion, the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, who, as a senator like me, represents many Indigenous people in his electorate, in their traditional areas. I ask the minister: what is the coalition government doing to support the economic and business aspirations of Indigenous Australians?

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

Thank you, Senator, for that question—a very important one, indeed. Helping people get a job and growing the economic pie so that more Australians have more opportunities to start a small business are the most important things we can do in this place. I can't speak for all senators, but I can say that the focus of each and every one of my coalition colleagues is helping move people from the misery of passive welfare into the dignity of work.

Since we came to government, there have been over a million jobs created—400,000 jobs last year. And a bit of a tip to those opposite: it doesn't happen by accident. In the 12 months before we came to government, those opposite were responsible for 89,000 job creations, but—wait for it—there was, in fact, a loss of 17,000 full-time jobs. Just in my portfolio, there have been over 60,000 jobs created for Indigenous jobseekers and there has been a 23.3 per cent increase in the number of Indigenous jobs since the 2011 census. Our Indigenous jobs program is working very well. It can be pretty nauseating listening to those opposite lecture me about my job program when their record was a dismal 89,000 jobs and ours is 400,000. I do listen to them carry on about my job program. Our record is 26,000 jobs under CDP compared to the RJCP, which had complete disengagement. In fact, only seven per cent of people turned up for jobs. Take small business: 30 Indigenous businesses; $6.2 million in Commonwealth contracts; 1,000 Indigenous businesses winning over a billion dollars in contracts since 2015. That's our record—a fantastic record. I can tell you what: we are getting more Indigenous Australians—in fact, all Australians—off the misery of passive welfare into the dignity of work.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Macdonald, a supplementary question.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know the minister has been in my home state of Queensland very regularly assisting the progress of Torres Strait and Aboriginal people in that area. I ask the minister: what has the government done to support Torres Strait Islanders and Indigenous Australians who are entrepreneurs, particularly in my home state of Queensland?

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

Thank you, Senator, for that question. I was, indeed, last week, in Weipa—up your way, in Far North Queensland—to view nothing less than a remarkable new Indigenous tropical hardwood harvesting project. Rio's new Amrun bauxite operation, south of Weipa, is clearing about 1,500 hectares of forest a year. I know the Greens will be very interested to know this. This would have been cleared anyway. It's in front of a bauxite mine. But Indigenous entrepreneur Gina Castelain saw that the timber would have otherwise gone to waste, so Wik Timber negotiated a partnership with Rio to harvest the timber and produce 125,000 tonnes of timber for export and domestic markets. New businesses are employing 70 local Indigenous jobseekers. Through the IEF, we assisted Wik Timber to purchase a shovel logger, a log skidder and a wood chipper so they can harvest the timber that would otherwise have gone up in smoke. We've also had 22 Queensland Indigenous businesses— (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Macdonald, a final supplementary question.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the minister for his answers today about Indigenous jobs and about Indigenous entrepreneurs. I ask the minister: what impact does the growth of the Indigenous business sector actually have on the employment of Indigenous people?

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

Our Indigenous business policies are not only helping create small-business opportunities but getting more Indigenous jobseekers off the misery of welfare and into the dignity of work. Of the thousand new Indigenous businesses, over a billion dollars of contracts—

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why are you cutting housing funding?

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

You should be ashamed of your record, mate. We've now given Indigenous Australians, under that procurement policy—they're three per cent of the population, but the average workforce across those Indigenous businesses is in fact 50 per cent. Every time we back Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander small businesses, we get more jobseekers into work and contributing to the economy.

We support all Australian businesses with a more competitive tax rate so they can keep more of their own money and invest it in their own future. That's going to mean more business activity. There is only one side of politics that has the runs on the board on jobs and growth, and the Australian people know that. (Time expired)