Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

If you do not mind, I will take that interjection, through you, Mr Deputy President. What we understand, Senator Crossin, is that those on the other side promised 750 houses and they have not delivered one. They should be ashamed of that. We have a complete series of spin that continues to roll out. One of the things those on the other side should really think about is that you cannot protect your baby son from the freezing desert wind with an announcement; you cannot keep the rain off your children’s heads with a press conference or a promise. We need action. We have had enough symbolism, we have had enough rhetoric, but we actually need action. This is one of the most shameful events in the history of Indigenous affairs.

I acknowledge that this is a very hard area. Today in question time, Senator Evans said we should show some bipartisan support. We did. We supported it in the intervention. Galarrwuy Yunupingu said he supported the intervention, but he said to me, ‘Senator, the problem is that we have had all the painful bits. We’ve had our income quarantined. You can’t take grog into the community. You can’t do this and you can’t do that. But, on balance, we thought it was okay because there were some good bits too—infrastructure, houses, better conditions.’ Of course, none of that has happened.

We would really like to know what is happening in the Northern Territory government. There seems to be a bit of a mess there at the moment. The Northern Territory government is expected to take about $76 million out of the $627 million. They only contributed $100 million and out of that they have apparently, at the moment, taken $76 million. That is not bad, is it? They cannot make a house but they can put the hand in the skyrocket of the taxpayer, just like that, and knock off their $76 million. We do not actually know if any money has been spent on houses. We keep asking and we are not getting any answers at all.

It really is important to understand that, in the context of the apology—which I know was supported in a bipartisan sense by this entire parliament; it was a great day for Australia—symbolism alone is not going to help the lives and the welfare of our most vulnerable and our first Australians. A message to the Prime Minister—I do not think there is any mischief in this; I am not saying that Prime Minister Rudd was saying things he did not believe would happen—is that he needs to get a minister on the ground who is capable of delivering to our first Australians. Clearly she is not at the moment. Under any measure, this program is a complete and utter failure. Senator Crossin will try to put a case that houses are there. As I have said, those in the media are requesting: ‘What we’d like from her is a name and an address.’ Announcing programs, posing for pictures and wearing hard hats is no substitute for action and results. I again remind Mr Rudd that, in terms of symbolism, our most vulnerable Australians cannot shelter from rain, cold winds or the elements under an apology. We acknowledge the importance of symbolism, but, without the backup of some practical changes on the ground, our first Australians are never going to have the opportunity to be able to embrace the lifestyle that the rest of Australians take for granted. The government stands condemned.