Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Hansard source

That is correct, Senator Thorpe. Organisations in the Northern Territory, in particular the land councils, are calling for strict control over the funding that goes to the Northern Territory. The difficulty here, Senator Thorpe, is that nearly 80 per cent of the Northern Territory's budget comes from the Commonwealth. So we have to be responsible in our response to the Northern Territory, but we also have to be responsible to all citizens of the Northern Territory who receive that. I am looking at those numbers, and I am looking at those lengths, in terms of the federal agreements, but not just for the Northern Territory. This also has to be about the federal agreements and the communications that we have with all states.