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

The $17 million that the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate is referring to is the same indexation halt that we have had in years previous. I am not sure why this is particularly exceptional. We have not made cuts out of this area. In previous years, there was a pause on indexation, and that has been the case this year. The reason, of course, why we have had to pause this indexation—as you would well know, Senator Wong, as finance minister in the previous government—is that we have had to ensure that the repairs to the budget is covered right across the portfolios, as it was last year and the year before. This is not a particular cut to a program. As we have said before and demonstrated time and time again in this place, we have been sophisticated enough to ensure that there have been absolutely no cuts to frontline services under the previous government or under this government.