Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Senator Scullion. I refer to the minister's announcement in the Senate last week that he had reached an agreement with a number of state governments—including Western Australia—on the provision of municipal and essential services to remote Indigenous communities. The Western Australian Minister Bill Marmion said that your decision was 'reprehensible'. He also said: 'This was not an agreement; it was an ultimatum. We had a gun pointed at our head.' Is Minister Marmion correct?