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

Clearly, our Indigenous Procurement Policy has been a complete game changer, with around 1,000 Indigenous businesses across the country winning Commonwealth contracts worth over $1 million in the first 2½ years of the policy. That compares to just $6.2 million in 2012-13 under the policies we inherited.

What is most pleasing is that the Commonwealth leadership in this space has caused corporate Australia to sit up and take note. During Closing the Gap week, the Business Council of Australia stood with the Prime Minister and announced that they are introducing a template Indigenous procurement policy for their members to adopt. I commend them for that. That is a fantastic commitment that builds on the $356 million of business that their members are already procuring from Indigenous businesses. That's what I call making a real difference in the lives of the first nation Australians, and it is this government that is backing them with the right policy.