Federal Senator Nigel Scullion flew Business Class to Darwin after Indigenous Affairs portfolio cut
- BY CLAYTON BENNETT
- NT NEWS
- MAY 17, 2014
TWO days after more than $500 million was cut from Aboriginal programs in the Federal Budget, Indigenous Affairs Minister Senator Nigel Scullion travelled business class on a flight to Darwin.
Senator Scullion travelled in business class on Qantas flight QF846 from Sydney to Darwin on Thursday night.
Yesterday, Senator Scullion refused to comment on the matter despite a series of questions from the NT News.
It is understood he was flying back to the Top End from Canberra after three days of budget-related parliamentary sittings.
Senator Scullion would not say what the flight cost, but the same business-class flight next Thursday is selling for $1999 one-way.
The NT News put forward several questions to Senator Scullion but his media adviser Russel Guse said the minister would not be responding to “such nonsensical questions”.
Senator Scullion was asked whether he was on the flight, whether it was appropriate to fly business class when indigenous programs were being cut and everyday Australians were asked to tighten their belts, and whether he would continue to fly business class.
Instead, he emailed a letter to the editor attacking Labor Senator Nova Peris.
Ms Peris had said previously that nearly $5 billion would be “ripped out of Territory schools and hospitals” as a result of this year’s Federal Budget.
In the letter, Senator Scullion said the indigenous affairs portfolio was reduced by $239 million over four years but $4.8 billion would still be spent.
“What that means is that every year in indigenous affairs we will need to save $60 million/year out of a total spend of $1200 million/year,” he said, adding that it was a “tidy up of Labor mess”.
