Patrick Dodson (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (Senate)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Senator Scullion. In October last year the minister declared, 'Safe, appropriate housing is crucial to better lives for residents in remote communities, including to improve health and education and address family violence.' Minister, has your government taken a decision to end the decade-long Commonwealth investment in remote Indigenous housing agreed in the National Partnership Agreement on Remote Indigenous Housing? How will this impact upon Closing the Gap targets?

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

I thank Senator Dodson for the question. No, we're not walking away from—

Opposition Senator:

An opposition senator interjecting—

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

Are you right? Cracker! Just let me get 'uh' out, if you could. Senator Dodson, I know you'll be listening to this, if none of the others on the other side are. No, we're not walking away from that at all, Senator Dodson. But one of the things you need to know, which I haven't had the opportunity to personally come round and explain yet, is that since Christmas we've been doing some calculations about why it is that the clear calculations we did about 10 years, which are about numbers—how many houses we need to invest in and predictions of population—haven't quite got there and we now need another little addition.

There were a number of things that might have happened, but there's one thing we're most concerned with. I asked every state and territory jurisdiction: 'Is it a fact that you stopped building houses in the NPARIH area for 10 years? Is it a fact that you actually took the money away in the most racist possible process and policy that I can remember in this place?' In any event, I'm giving a new opportunity for the jurisdictions to come back about that. New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania have acknowledged that they're moving away from that; they're taking their own responsibilities under that. But they are in different circumstances. We had an independent review that showed the Northern Territory is the largest need, about 50 per cent. Under that come South Australia and Queensland—almost under that—and then much further down the pace comes—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Scullion. Please resume your seat. Senator Wong.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order on direct relevance, Mr President: the question Senator Dodson asked was whether the government had taken a decision to end the National Partnership Agreement on Remote Indigenous Housing. It is a very important question and, whilst the minister may have a lot of political attack on the states that he wishes to engage in, we would ask that he answer that simple question.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Wong. As you know, I can't instruct the minister how to answer the question but I can remind the minister of the terms of it. Senator Scullion.

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

A national partnership involves every state and territory. It is self-evident that New South Wales, Tasmania and Victoria are no longer in it. So now we're moving to a bipartisan approach. We've made the announcement with the Northern Territory and we're still in discussions with the other states and territories. But fundamental to this is ensuring that the states and territories are held to account, and those opposite should ensure that they are holding them to account in each of their jurisdictions. (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Dodson, a supplementary question.

Patrick Dodson (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (Senate)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I note what the minister said. Minister, I note that last week your representative in the House of Representatives, Minister Wyatt, declared: 'The funding has not been cut. It has not been reduced. Senator Scullion is in ongoing negotiations with the relevant ministers.' Is the minister correct?

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

Yes, he is. We have done an independent inquiry, which you would have a copy of, that shows what is required now, and our investment in the national partnership over a decade reduced the overcrowding significantly but we still have some work to do. So it's about that actual number, and we are negotiating, continuing to negotiate, with the states and territories about that number. But we now need the states and territories to transition to take on their own responsibilities of public housing, and we need to ensure that when the states and territories are allocating public housing—because, whether you're in Western Australia, Queensland, South Australia or the Northern Territory, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are still members of a state or territory. We're not walking away at all, but we are ensuring, and those on the other side should encourage, that each of the state and territory governments stand ready to take on their responsibilities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in their jurisdiction.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Dodson, final supplementary question.

Patrick Dodson (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (Senate)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Could the minister clarify if he has begun, or when he is going to begin, the negotiations with the state governments of South Australia, Queensland and my home state of Western Australia so as to maintain the effect of the remote Indigenous housing strategy?

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

It's been documented that I've been dealing with the Northern Territory government. I have met with the Queensland Minister for Housing and Public Works. We haven't come to a settlement on that matter yet. I have met with the minister for Indigenous affairs, who is not the minister for housing, and explained what the circumstance is. I will be meeting shortly with the ministers for housing in South Australia and in Western Australia.