Interview with Richard Margetson on the 2013 federal election result and the new ministry.
RICHARD MARGETSON:
Well let’s go back to the election and as you heard in AM the Coalition are working towards announcing their cabinet. Interesting that they really need to cull, currently they have 32 people in and around it they need to cull down to around 30 for the full cabinet and amongst those being mentioned of course is NT Senator Nigel Scullion in indigenous affairs, he joins us this morning Nigel Scullion good morning.

NIGEL SCULLION:
Good morning Richard I have to say I’m a bit concerned when you use my name with culling. I’ve done a bit of culling in my time, it’s not a very pleasant process for the recipient I have to say.

RICHARD MARGETSON:
Well I was, I was wondering actually how you were feeling, whether you’re confident that you actually will be in the, in the 30 when the, in fact there’s 32 in the squad?

NIGEL SCULLION:
Well mate I, all I can do is hope look that decision is a bit above my pay grade sadly. If it was in my pay grade certainly I’d give myself a job as we all would.

RICHARD MARGETSON:
As we all would.

NIGEL SCULLION:
That’s not the case, that’s not the case look we, we just woken up on this bright, beautiful Monday morning in the Territory, we’ve got a new prime minister and a new government and I think we’re all pretty excited by that I think we’re all pretty excited that the election is over as well I think like most Territorians I was, we’re all, we think it’s sort of all gone too long, we were election doubt we’ll hear no doubt today about the process as I understand we’ll be in Canberra later this week not for parliament but for a whole range of other issues setting up the new government so I’ll hear in no doubt in due course.

RICHARD MARGETSON:
Have you had a chance to speak to Tony Abbott yet?

NIGEL SCULLION:
I haven’t had a chance to speak to Tony yet no I haven’t.

RICHARD MARGETSON:
So at the moment you’re waiting but you’re assuming that pretty much you’ll stay in the portfolio that you’ve been working in the last little while?

NIGEL SCULLION:
Yeah assumptions are dangerous things Richard.

RICHARD MARGETSON:
I know, but let’s, I know it’s a dangerous thing but let’s make that assumption, let’s make an assumption that you will hold on to indigenous affairs.

NIGEL SCULLION:
That’d be great if I did mate.

RICHARD MARGETSON:
If that is the case what will be the priority for Coalition now that you returned to government for Indigenous Affairs?

NIGEL SCULLION:
Well look I think there’s some fundamentals in, in indigenous affairs and the fundamental I think is the in direction policy direction is about reconnection. Many aboriginal and islander people across Australia of course just want government to get out of their way like everyone else, they’re engaged, they’ve got jobs they’ve got families, they’ve got mortgages all the good and the bad things that Australians enjoy but there are far too many aboriginal and islander people who are in the demographic of this connection things like their kids, not enough of their kids are attending school across the Territory of course we’ve got some pretty woeful attendance rates across north Australia and you know kids don’t go to school they won’t get an education. We’ve got a lot of people who are capable of work and they’re not working that’s not good for them, that’s not good for the economy and that’s not good for the communities or their families. So they’re the sort of , they’re the sort of areas that we need to move people from welfare and the, the sickness that welfare unbearably provides to almost anyone whether they’re long term unemployed and they feel they’re capable and they are capable of working.
So they’re areas that are just simple areas and of course in, particularly in north Australia and remote communities I think whilst there’s a great deal of joy in living in these beautiful remote areas they have the right to feel safe in their own communities so it is very important that we ensure that the policies and the measures and the programs that we’re delivering are being effective, kids are going to school, people are engaging with work and the rule of law applies across the communities and not just the rule of law I mean people just need to feel safe and I think that all of those issues are issues that people, individuals, families, community members have all talked to me about that’s how they’d like to see their communities and their lives improve.

RICHARD MARGETSON:
Nigel Scullion we’ve also seen the Territory vote in another senator, Labor’s Nova Peris is the first indigenous woman in to the senate. Can we expect some kind of degree of bipartisanship in indigenous affairs in the Northern Territory?

NIGEL SCULLION:
Look I expect not, I think Nova’s role in opposition is going to beat me up. That is a good role and a proper role. I’m sure that those issues under which Nova agrees with me she’ll be silent and quite rightly she’ll say well you’re supposed to be getting it right but don’t confuse the role of opposition as a role necessary to being a supportive role, it’s quite a proper role to hold the government to account. How well she’ll do, doing that yet to be seen but hopefully we get it right often enough that she won’t, she won’t be too busy but look I had a terrific working relationship with Trish Crossin and could I just say to Trish and her supporters thank you so much mate you did an absolutely great job for the Territory and I think because of our very close working relationship we’re able to put politics aside and put the Territory first. She just did that in a, in a remarkable way and I know that she’ll be sorely missed in the senate and in parliament.

RICHARD MARGETSON:
We’ll hope for the same sort of bipartisanship or at least friendship with you and our new Senator Nova Peris. One of the other things that has come up and came up on Friday on ABC radio was Priscilla Collins from NAAJA speaking about the indigenous policy reform program, it’s the one that funds NAAJA itself I’m just going to play you a little clip from a conversation she had with Kate O’Toole on Friday on this radio station.
***Extract***
COLLINS:
That’s a huge cut that’s about 20% cut across the board. The end result here is that we’re delivering an essential service the most disadvantaged Aboriginal people in Australia and these people aren’t going to have access to justice they’re now going to be going to court unrepresented and the long term is that it’s going to clog up the systems, increase the incarceration rate and those costs are going to be passed on to other parties anyway because we’re the ones who saved the justice system money and I just don’t think they’ve really thought this through.
***Extract ends***

RICHARD MARGETSON:
That’s talking about a cost of about $42m cuts over $5m, $13m, $12m, $12m, $42m all up in to that policy reform area. What do you make of the comments that Priscilla Collins made there?

NIGEL SCULLION:
Well look I’m looking forward to speaking to Priscilla over and the Legal Aid groups across Australia over the next few weeks but this is a very carefully crafted cut, we have to make cuts there’s no doubt about that wherever cuts are made someone will say you shouldn’t have made them here, we understand that but this is the first step of living within our means. So principally their organisation does a number of things; they provide legal advice, telephone advice, they attend in court, receive instructions from lawyers, they have ongoing legal services and the fourth point, the other 25% is law reform and policy. So we’ve cut 20% of the program we’ve said the law reform and policy program will not be continued that’s why it’s only 20% of the program. The remaining legal service and access to justice will of course remain but since we’re moving policy in to Prime Minister in cabinet and the resources that we’ll have within Prime Minister in cabinet and because of the formation of the advisory council to the Prime Minister we’ve ensure that there is plenty of rigour and resources behind the provision of law reform and policy but the frontline, all of the frontline services of course will remain.

RICHARD MARGETSON:
Well we’ll talk to those programs and those things as you become minister which we’re expecting Nigel Scullion as yet we’re not quite sure but we wish you well and we look forward to talking to you in your new role in the Coalition government.

NIGEL SCULLION:
Great stuff Richard thank you very much.

RICHARD MARGETSON:
Nigel Scullion is a senator for the Northern Territory, the conversation with Priscilla Collins was with Kate O’Toole on Friday.