Indigenous Communities Funding

Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (14:58): My question is to the Premier. Why has the government refused to negotiate an agreement with the commonwealth to accept responsibility for municipal and essential service delivery in remote Indigenous communities when all other states have agreed to accept responsibility for Aboriginal communities?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:58): I thank the honourable member for his question. I am a little surprised. I would have thought he would be on our side of the argument in relation to this question. The commonwealth government has given notice, I suppose, of its decision to withdraw from what has been an historic funding responsibility to remote Aboriginal communities. This seems to be part of what the Prime Minister calls being 'sovereign in your own sphere' which, roughly translated, is a big handball to somebody else and you do not get any of the gravy to be able to carry out the function. That seems to be what is going on there. We don't want to be low-balled is the short answer to the question. We have been negotiating, it is just that we have not accepted the terms of the offer.

If the other states have been able to accept a sum of money that satisfies their needs, then so be it, but what is on offer at the moment I think barely goes to one year's funding of the responsibilities in remote Aboriginal communities. As I understand it they touch on things like water, electricity, rubbish collection and other basic services which are essential to the running of those communities. We will keep negotiating until we get the sort of deal that we need.

I must say that it is disturbing. I have offered the Prime Minister the hand of bipartisan friendship on the question of remote Aboriginal communities because I frankly accept that the outcomes in those communities have been sub-par and that we need to do new things in new ways. I have indicated my strong support for the essential elements of the Forrest review. I note now the commonwealth are backing away from that, even though they commissioned that report.

We are out there trying to reach agreement on difficult issues, but it is a bit rich when we are stumping up our commitments, which are substantial under the Forrest review, but at the same time we are seeing the commonwealth withdraw from its responsibilities whether it be the municipal MUNS funding—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I really don't think those opposite could be heard to speak about the neglect of the APY lands. When last in government, there was not one sworn officer on the lands. TAFE was completely removed from the APY lands.