House debates Questions without Notice
Central Australia
Sussan Ley Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women
2:56 pm
My question is to the Minister for Indigenous Australians. In January the Prime Minister promised a $250 million package for Central Australia, which the government claimed would improve community safety, create jobs and improve health services. More than six months later, how much of this money has actually been spent?
Linda Burney Barton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians
Can I thank the member for her question and say that the rollout of the $250 million is going remarkably well. We have upgraded roads and water facilities in outlying communities. We have made available money to a women's service there that deals with domestic violence. We've increased funding for the Northern Territory women's legal service in Katherine, which was needing additional money because of the imposts on that. We have also made some commitments in terms of education. We have also spent $25 million on youth services which, by the way, were running out of money in June under your government.
Linda Burney Barton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians
Not quite.
Milton Dick Speaker
I will hear from the acting Leader of the Opposition.
Sussan Ley Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women
It was a specific question about how much of the $250 million has actually been spent. I am comfortable if the minister would like to return to the chamber at a later point to actually outline how much of that $250 million has been spent.
Milton Dick Speaker
The point of order was on relevance. I will go back to my earlier explanation: direct relevance and direct answers aren't the same thing. The point of order was on relevance. I am just asking the minister to continue with her answer because she is talking about the expenditure, where it is being allocated and the program is involved.
Linda Burney Barton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians
I conclude my answer by saying that the rollout has been collaborative. We've established an Aboriginal leaders group in Central Australia to assist the government with that rollout and to listen to those people. We are doing further work—in fact, I'm going to Alice Springs in three weeks time.
Milton Dick Speaker
The minister has finished her answer, but I will hear from the acting leader on a point of order.
Sussan Ley Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women
I'm seeking leave to table a document: the Prime Minister's February media release, titled A better, safer future for Central Australia. I assume the Leader of the House will have no objections, as he has been tabling articles in the public domain all week. May we table it in order to assist the minister to return to the House with an exact figure of how much of $250 million has been spent?
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
It's a media release. It's public. Leave is not granted.