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

I thank Senator Reynolds for the question. This government is focused on delivering better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and ensuring that our first Australians can expect the same—if not better—levels of service as other Australians. That is why we have been working with state governments to reform the delivery of municipal and essential service in remote Indigenous communities to ensure services like rubbish collection and the provision of water and power are provided by state and local government with funding provided by the Commonwealth financial assistance grants, as they are in every other community. What needs to be put on the public record is that communities are not closing and services have not been reduced.