The Yothu Yindi Foundation is calling for a full audit of all government funding earmarked for addressing Indigenous disadvantage, after its analysis showed that the money was being syphoned off to porkbarrel in other areas. The NT’s Indigenous Affairs minister was thrown out of caucus for questioning the government’s spending priorities: “We’re going to say we need [more money] because we have remote Aboriginal communities — then we’ll spend it on a water park.” Meanwhile, Commonwealth Indigenous Affairs minister Nigel Scullion was caught using Indigenous Advancement Strategy money to Country Liberal Party networks and his white business mates, in part to pay for lawyers opposing land rights claims. He’s retiring soon — good riddance.
30 January 2019