Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion has taken aim at Queensland and Western Australia for failing to commit to remote indigenous housing funding.
The NT senator fronted parliament on Tuesday after Labor called on him to explain his "failure" to engage in detailed negotiations with state counterparts about the future of the National Partnership Agreement on Remote Housing.
"Queensland and Western Australia have not put a single dollar on the table when it comes to remote housing," Senator Scullion said after rejecting the opposition's claims.
Labor's Pat Dodson said correspondence provided to the upper house between Senator Scullion and his state and territory counterparts showed no "high-level" dialogue.
Senator Dodson said the minister had shown poor faith in negotiations and unimaginative leadership during the talks.
"The cost of a remote indigenous housing program should be equally shared, not to give up because someone won't talk to you," Senator Dodson said.
"The cabinet of this government decided to pull up a drawbridge on a decade of collaboration."
But Senator Scullion said he had written to the states and the Northern Territory with an unequivocal commitment to provide Commonwealth funding.
"I'm strongly of the view state and territory governments should make a contribution," he said.
Senator Scullion made a verbal commitment to match NT's funding of $1.1 billion over 10 years in January.
He said the federal funding would be matched on a yearly basis in line with the territory's one-year budget cycle.
The current national partnership is due to expire in June.
Australian Associated Press