BILLS › Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2011
Senator CHRIS EVANS (Western Australia—Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (00:44): At the risk of making a habit of this, the government will also support the amendment. I do not rise to the bait of Senator Ludlam, who uses words like 'racist', 'punitive' and 'coercive', in supporting the measures. Obviously I do not agree with his interpretation, but the government has been clear from the outset that it is prepared to continually review and amend its approach to ensure that it is delivering the best possible outcomes for Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory, particularly through the special measures. So we are happy to support the amendment to bring forward the scheduled review period. Question agreed to.