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

I am pleased to report that we are now seeing the start of a transformation in how the government approaches the issue of low employment for Indigenous communities. For too long, it has all been too hard. As a consequence, only 46 per cent of Indigenous Australians of working age are in work. As I announced with Minister Cormann earlier this year, the government has changed the way it does business and will now procure three per cent of its contracts from Indigenous businesses by 2020. This has already led to nothing short, in my view, of amazing results. Compared with $6.2 million in the entire period of the last government, this quarter we have achieved $34 million in Indigenous procurement contracts. Through the white paper, we are continuing this approach. The Commonwealth will require Indigenous procurement targets for white paper infrastructure projects to drive Indigenous employment and supplier use. It means that if you are an Indigenous small business near the Tanami, the Outback Way or any other road project, you will be front and centre in picking up those contracts. (Time expired)