Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said money given to Indigenous programs should be checked to ensure it was going to the most deserving people.
A row over federal spending is clouding the final phase of the referendum on the Indigenous Voice to parliament, with No campaigners demanding an audit of the money spent on First Australians and a former federal minister backing the call.
“I don’t think anyone could genuinely say that Indigenous people are getting value for money,” said Vanstone, who was responsible for Indigenous affairs during the Howard government. Across all governments, only $6 billion was targeted spending exclusively for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, while the remainder was the estimated Indigenous share of total spending that went to all Australians on services such as health and education.
“I absolutely strongly support Jacinta’s call to make sure money has been paid in taxes … are being spent appropriately,” he said. Dutton argued the huge amount of money from Canberra “becomes a trickle” when it reached remote communities, leading to worse outcomes for Indigenous people. A check on fraud and compliance at the National Indigenous Australians Agency raised questions in May this year about grants worth $1 billion to more than 1000 service providers,and did not fully comply with legislation.
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