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

The measures are not all rolled out at the same time in all the communities; they are being rolled out community by community. So any appreciation of the results at one particular arbitrary point in time, say in a 12-month review, will not necessarily provide the evidentiary process you require. The minister has the capacity, on the basis of the time he rolls them out, to examine how the programs are working on a community-by-community basis.

The proposed opposition amendment would impose an obligation to review the income management and land acquisition arrangements some 12 months after the act receives royal assent. We are committed to ongoing monitoring and reporting on the Northern Territory emergency response. Therefore, we will not be supporting this amendment.