Take Note of Answers: Indigenous issues in Senate Estimates.

I rise to take note of the questions from Senator Liddle. On this side of the chamber, our government is committed to taking action that delivers real change for First Nations people. We are delivering record funding in health, education and housing. That includes $842 million to fund essential services in remote communities. We are creating real jobs with decent conditions in remote Australia, addressing housing overcrowding and supporting healthy children and safe families. The accusation here is one of a lack of transparency and integrity. Well, I refute that. In this round of supplementary budget estimates, Indigenous issues will be part of every day of estimates—not a tack-on at the end but a part of every day of estimates. We've seen the cross-portfolio day roll out over the last number of years, certainly over the last term—I know I personally chaired the cross-portfolio water day—and it just became more and more irrelevant through that time, because we didn't have the right people turning up. At the last couple of estimates all we had was Senator Perin Davey, sitting there asking a whole bunch of questions. All power to Senator Davey, but they weren't exactly changing-the-world conversations, and they certainly weren't uncovering anything that everybody didn't know already. And the number of senators turning up just declined, declined, declined. 

I'm now taking over as chair of Finance and Public Administration, which the Indigenous cross-portfolio day would have gone into. And I'm delighted to think that every single agency that turns up through the main body of estimates on the Finance and Public Administration Committee will be asked questions about Indigenous affairs. So I would just ask those on the other side: Who's coming? Who's going to turn up? Who's going to ask some questions? We can't wait. We're really looking forward to it. Let's see you at estimates. Maybe you're not sure what to ask about. Maybe I could help.  

I've got a little list that I'd like to share with you, that you'd maybe like to look at. You need all the help you can get. There's our six-year partnership with the Northern Territory government and Aboriginal peak organisations in the NT to deliver those essential services I referenced earlier. You might want to ask about that. You might want to ask about the National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People. Or perhaps you'd like to know how things are going for the more than 300 enrolments in the First Nations Health Worker Traineeship Program. That's a pretty good program. You might be interested in some of that. Ask about our programs, our progress, the challenges we might be facing—a bit of scrutiny; have a little look—maybe the economic partnerships, even. 

If you're still stuck, I've got a couple of others you might want to think about when you're preparing for estimates, because I'm sure you're all going to turn up, those on the opposite side of this chamber. You're going to turn up to every single portfolio, not just a separate day but every day, and that's the standard week, plus the extra week that we're going to have in December. There's plenty of time, so don't hold back. Come on down and ask the questions directly of the secretaries of every department, of the experts in all these areas who are going to sit at that table. Maybe you're interested in the nutrition workers for remote communities that are rolling out, or maybe the remote laundries, or maybe strengthening the Indigenous procurement policy, which is part of our whole aim to turbocharge First Nations businesses and build economic empowerment. That's something that's really important to us. We'd be delighted to talk about it at estimates. 

Senator Stewart: Remote jobs. 

Senator GROGAN: Remote jobs—particularly remote jobs; that's exactly right, Senator Stewart. These are all things that we are well open to talking about. We would be delighted to talk about them. We have some serious challenges, and we are facing them head on. We invite you to actually turn up—walk into the room, turn up, ask some questions—because we are ready, willing and able to answer every single one of them.