Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee, , 6:47:26 to 6:54:32
The committee discusses using Commonwealth funding levers to bypass state and territory governments and provide direct support to Aboriginal organizations for housing and disaster relief.
Topics: Government spending, Grants administration, First Nations
Speakers: Senator David Shoebridge, Hon Malarndirri McCarthy, Speaker 30, Unknown Speaker
>> Um there was a recommendation out of a Senate committee um barely a few weeks ago calling for the establishment of a national task force to address this. Um are you having discussions? Sorry. Where where does responsibility to answer that um those recommendations lie in terms of ministerial responsibility? Does it lie with you? Does it lie with the attorney?
>> That would be with Yeah. the AG.
>> Yes. >> Is there a process where when these matters cut so obviously across your responsibilities, is there a process where you come together and try and provide a joint response? What how does this work? Well, there
certainly will be a process of coming together. Uh that often occurs with uh most of the reports that come to certainly the Senate and any that I've had any involvement with uh and that will be an ongoing conversation as to when we um finalize
the statements you made a couple of months ago was about looking at funding levers in order to produce positive outcomes >> and you know in relation to the NT the Commonwealth funds 80% of their budget you know and that's probably on a good day for them. It's probably more than that on some other days. And yet they continue to defy the Commonwealth in their agenda of um punching down on young people, ignoring the closing the gap, ignoring the the goals that they've signed up to on on national agreements. Um what is the state of play in terms of using those funding levers?
>> Sure. Uh we've certainly uh spoken with the Northern Territory government, the finance minister and myself. uh we've sat down with them to express our real concerns uh at the federal level in terms of the funding arrangements across all areas uh in particular a number that were standing out quite recently and that that is with housing and homelessness uh and also with the emergency disaster relief uh we're nearly a year uh when the first disaster hit and uh applications even for that had not come in uh it as now but only after um or just before we had the meeting. So the timeliness of those sorts of things were raised but also the the reality that we would consider uh direct funding >> direct funding to Aboriginal organizations local government we have raised that directly with the Northern Territory uh if they don't lift their game uh and this has been a serious conversation between the Commonwealth and the Northern Territory
can I urge you on behalf of my party um to progress that because it would appear that we have a level of government in the Northern Territory which seems to want to weaponize the justice system against First Nations peoples, weaponize the justice system against First Nations youth. Um comprehensively failing in its basic duties to the citizens of the NT to ensure that emergency funding is delivered so as their lives can be improved after disasters. comprehensively failing to deliver the the housing support that they're being funded to do. And when a level of government so comprehensively fails to do its basic duties and then with the money that has been provided to them is engaged in a overtly noxious political campaign against first nations peoples. This surely is the moment in which to say well if you won't do what's right with Commonwealth funds [clears throat] we'll find we'll find we'll find organizations and we'll find other other other places which will do the right thing with the commonwealth funds is that the conversation you're having with
>> absolutely uh Senator Shoebridge what we also have to be very very cognizant of is capability of our Aboriginal and touristra organizations to actually take it on and So that's another level which I'm very uh firm on that we do not want our organizations to fail either. So the capability factor is really critical whilst having these very solid direct conversations with the Northern Territory government but it's not just the Northern Territory government. It it is other governments too. uh we are making this quite an important focus for us if we are not getting the outcomes we want to see.
>> But if it might if it's helpful for the funding agreements and funding arrangements that sit uh in the minister's portfolio including the NT ray which Miss Belling just spoke to earlier we have put in uh measures to ensure that we are paying um for services rendered. So if those services are not provided by the Northern Territory government as the partner then those payments won't be made. We've put in greater community ainal uh ainal community oversight and part of those partnership arrangements in relation to the remote housing um agreement which the minister has responsibility for that is under its periodic uh 2-year review and we are looking at again strengthening those and and what other partners do exist to deliver those services under those agreements.
>> Yeah, thanks Mr. Smith. appreciate that. Um, Minister, it is a thing I hear repeatedly about capacity building and the need for capacity building in First Nations communities. Um, this is something that I would have thought your department could take a national lead on to create a funding stream and a support stream and an education stream and a training stream so that people in these remote communities in First Nations organizations are getting the training now so that in 18 months or two years time um there's a capacity there to redirect the funding. Is that a project? Is it funded to what scale is it happening or is this a budget request coming forward?
>> We've certainly focused on the Northern Territory in terms of capability. Uh we I know uh Miss Bellenger responded to earlier questions on NT Ray uh just in regards to a certain amount of funding that's gone directly to Aboriginal organizations through APOT uh to ensure capability um and to make sure that we continue to build uh these echoes uh across the territory. I do want to see that right across the country. It's not just about the Northern Territory and I'm very mindful of that. However, the most pressing matters seem to be coming from Northern Australia at this point in time >> more broadly.
>> Um because the chair has been very indulgent and nice, could I ask you to provide that um detail about um training um uh capacity building and funding? Could you provide that on notice with as much granularity as you can? >> Thanks, Minister.