In October 2018, Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion approved a $150,000 grant from the Indigenous Advancement Strategy (IAS) to the NT Seafood Council (NTSC) [1].
他 tā 还 hái 批准 pī zhǔn 向 xiàng NT NT Amateur Amateur Fishermen Fishermen ' ' s s Association Association 拨款 bō kuǎn 17 17 万澳元 wàn ào yuán , , 向 xiàng NT NT Cattlemen Cattlemen ' ' s s Association Association 拨款 bō kuǎn 16.5 16.5 万澳元 wàn ào yuán — — — — 总计 zǒng jì 约 yuē 48.5 48.5 万澳元 wàn ào yuán [ [ 2 2 ] ] 。 。
He also approved $170,000 to the NT Amateur Fishermen's Association and $165,000 to the NT Cattlemen's Association – a total of approximately $485,000 [2].
Scullion had previously chaired the NTSC from 1994 to 2001, and gave evidence on behalf of that organization in Aboriginal land claim disputes during his tenure as chair [1].
The grants were specifically intended to fund "legal fees, effectively … to put forward a case of detriment to the land commissioner" regarding Aboriginal land claims [3].
根据 gēn jù NT NT Land Land Rights Rights Act Act , , 认为 rèn wéi 土地 tǔ dì 索赔 suǒ péi 将 jiāng 对 duì 其 qí 业务 yè wù 或 huò 个人利益 gè rén lì yì 产生 chǎn shēng 负面影响 fù miàn yǐng xiǎng 的 de 人 rén 可以 kě yǐ 提交 tí jiāo " " 损害 sǔn hài " " 申请 shēn qǐng 给 gěi Aboriginal Aboriginal Land Land Commissioner Commissioner , , 论证 lùn zhèng 其 qí 未来 wèi lái 的 de 收入 shōu rù 、 、 土地 tǔ dì 或 huò 水资源 shuǐ zī yuán 获取 huò qǔ 将 jiāng 如何 rú hé 受到 shòu dào 影响 yǐng xiǎng [ [ 1 1 ] ] 。 。
Under the NT Land Rights Act, those who believe a land claim would negatively impact their business or personal interests can lodge "detriment" applications to the Aboriginal Land Commissioner arguing how their future access to income, land, or water would be affected [1].
The funds were explicitly used to help these industry groups prepare their legal arguments on detriment for outstanding land claims that had been held up – some for nearly 30 years [1].
缺失背景
然而 rán ér , , 该 gāi 指控 zhǐ kòng 忽略 hū lüè 了 le 几个 jǐ gè 从根本上 cóng gēn běn shàng 改变 gǎi biàn 情况 qíng kuàng 的 de 重要 zhòng yào 的 de 背景 bèi jǐng 要素 yào sù : :
However, the claim omits several important contextual elements that fundamentally alter the picture:
**1.
The funding purpose according to government:** While critics framed this as funding to "fight" land claims, the government maintained the funds were for legitimate purposes under IAS guidelines.
Department Department of of Prime Prime Minister Minister and and Cabinet Cabinet 表示 biǎo shì , , 该 gāi 资金 zī jīn 有 yǒu " " 两个 liǎng gè 组成部分 zǔ chéng bù fèn " " : : ( ( 1 1 ) ) 教育 jiào yù 行业 háng yè 成员 chéng yuán 了解 liǎo jiě NT NT Land Land Rights Rights Act Act 和 hé 原住民 yuán zhù mín 土地 tǔ dì 权利 quán lì 问题 wèn tí , , ( ( 2 2 ) ) 允许 yǔn xǔ 组织 zǔ zhī 在 zài 土地 tǔ dì 索赔 suǒ péi 程序 chéng xù 中 zhōng 代表 dài biǎo 其 qí 成员 chéng yuán 的 de 利益 lì yì [ [ 1 1 ] ] 。 。
The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet stated the funding had "two components": (1) to educate industry members on the Land Rights Act and Aboriginal land rights issues in the NT, and (2) to allow organizations to represent their members' interests in the land claims process [1].
Scullion also told Guardian Australia the funding could be used "to develop education resources and training materials on Aboriginal land and sea country in the Northern Territory, Aboriginal land rights history and legislation" [1].
**2.
* * * * 2 2 . . 法律 fǎ lǜ 框架 kuāng jià : : * * * * 根据 gēn jù NT NT Land Land Rights Rights Act Act 本身 běn shēn , , 损害 sǔn hài 评估 píng gū 是 shì 强制性 qiáng zhì xìng 程序 chéng xù 的 de 一部分 yī bù fèn 。 。
The legal framework:** Under the NT Land Rights Act itself, detriment assessment is a mandatory part of the process.
The Aboriginal Land Commissioner must consider detriment claims by law – they are not optional [1].
这 zhè 不是 bú shì 土地 tǔ dì 索赔 suǒ péi 程序 chéng xù 中 zhōng 的 de 自由 zì yóu 裁量 cái liàng 或 huò 不 bù 寻常 xún cháng 要素 yào sù ; ; 它 tā 是 shì 土地 tǔ dì 权利 quán lì 确定 què dìng 方式 fāng shì 的 de 结构性 jié gòu xìng 组成部分 zǔ chéng bù fèn 。 。
This is not a discretionary or unusual element of the land claims process; it is structural to how land rights determinations work.
**3.
* * * * 3 3 . . 替代 tì dài 资金 zī jīn 渠道 qú dào : : * * * * 该 gāi 拨款 bō kuǎn 决定 jué dìng 引发 yǐn fā 了 le 一个 yí gè 程序性 chéng xù xìng 担忧 dān yōu — — — — Northern Northern Land Land Council Council 主席 zhǔ xí Joe Joe Morrison Morrison 指出 zhǐ chū , , 根据 gēn jù Land Land Rights Rights Act Act , , 如果 rú guǒ 各方 gè fāng 需要 xū yào 协助 xié zhù 提交 tí jiāo 损害 sǔn hài 索赔 suǒ péi , , " " 这应 zhè yīng 由 yóu Attorney Attorney - - General General ' ' s s department department 处理 chǔ lǐ , , 而 ér 非 fēi 由 yóu 原住民 yuán zhù mín 事务部长 shì wù bù zhǎng 处理 chǔ lǐ " " [ [ 1 1 ] ] 。 。
Alternative funding avenue:** The grant decision raised a procedural concern – the Northern Land Council chairman Joe Morrison pointed out that under the Land Rights Act, if parties require assistance submitting detriment claims, "that's dealt with by the Attorney-General's department, not by the Indigenous Affairs Minister" [1].
Coalition's argument:** The Coalition government argued it had provided $4.9 billion to the Indigenous Advancement Strategy overall, including $7.5 million to the Northern Land Council specifically to progress claims, and an additional $1 million to the Land Commissioner [1].
A government spokesman stated: "If Labor is happy to see these outstanding land claims kicked off to the never never and deprive Aboriginal communities of the benefits of settling outstanding claims now, they should just come out and say so" [1].
**5.
Claim resolution context:** Scullion had asked the Land Commissioner in July 2018 to examine how to resolve outstanding detriment issues, as these technical barriers were preventing claims from being finalized [1].
The original sources are credible, mainstream journalism outlets:
- **The Guardian** [1] is an internationally recognized broadsheet newspaper with strong editorial standards, published by Guardian News & Media Limited.
- - * * * * The The Guardian Guardian * * * * [ [ 1 1 ] ] 是 shì 由 yóu Guardian Guardian News News CLAIM CLAIM _ _ JSON JSON _ _ PLACEHOLDER PLACEHOLDER Media Media Limited Limited 出版 chū bǎn 的 de 国际 guó jì 公认 gōng rèn 的 de 大报 dà bào , , 具有 jù yǒu 强大 qiáng dà 的 de 编辑 biān jí 标准 biāo zhǔn 。 。
The article was reported by Lorena Allam, an established journalist, and was framed as "exclusive" reporting [1].
- **SBS/NITV** [2] is Australia's national public broadcaster's Indigenous news service, also a credible mainstream source.
However, both sources emphasize the critical framing – that Indigenous funds were diverted to fight land claims – without providing proportional emphasis to the government's explanations about the funding purpose or the structural role of detriment claims in the Land Rights Act framework.
两个 liǎng gè 来源 lái yuán 都 dōu 提供 tí gōng 了 le 关于 guān yú 所 suǒ 发生 fā shēng 事件 shì jiàn 的 de 事实 shì shí 报道 bào dào 。 。
Michael West Media, another original source mentioned in searches, explicitly categorizes this as a "rort" (misuse of funds), which reflects partisan framing rather than purely neutral analysis [4].
然而 rán ér , , 两个 liǎng gè 来源 lái yuán 都 dōu 强调 qiáng diào 批评性 pī píng xìng 框架 kuāng jià — — — — 即 jí 原住民 yuán zhù mín 资金 zī jīn 被 bèi 转移 zhuǎn yí 用于 yòng yú 对抗 duì kàng 土地 tǔ dì 索赔 suǒ péi — — — — 而 ér 没有 méi yǒu 对 duì 政府 zhèng fǔ 关于 guān yú 资金 zī jīn 用途 yòng tú 的 de 解释 jiě shì 或 huò 损害 sǔn hài 索赔 suǒ péi 在 zài Land Land Rights Rights Act Act 框架 kuāng jià 中 zhōng 的 de 结构性 jié gòu xìng 作用 zuò yòng 给予 jǐ yǔ 相称 xiāng chèn 的 de 重视 zhòng shì 。 。 Michael Michael West West Media Media 是 shì 搜索 sōu suǒ 中 zhōng 提到 tí dào 的 de 另 lìng 一个 yí gè 原始 yuán shǐ 来源 lái yuán , , 明确 míng què 将 jiāng 此 cǐ 归类 guī lèi 为 wèi " " rort rort " " ( ( 资金 zī jīn 滥用 làn yòng ) ) , , 这 zhè 反映 fǎn yìng 了 le 党派 dǎng pài 性 xìng 框架 kuāng jià 而 ér 非 fēi 纯粹 chún cuì 中立 zhōng lì 的 de 分析 fēn xī [ [ 4 4 ] ] 。 。
However, this is not surprising because:
1. **The funding mechanism was novel:** Using IAS funding for detriment claims was a Coalition policy innovation in 2018.
This approach to funding detriment claims doesn't appear to have a direct Labor equivalent in available sources.
2. **Labor's record on land claims:** Under Labor governments, Aboriginal land claims processes also required detriment assessment.
When the Rudd/Gillard Labor governments operated the Indigenous portfolio, they also processed land claims through frameworks requiring detriment consideration, though searches did not reveal they funded industry groups in the same way.
3. **The broader context:** Both major parties have supported resolving Northern Territory land claims through established legal frameworks, though their approaches and funding mechanisms have differed.
The comparative analysis suggests this particular funding approach – using Indigenous Advancement Strategy monies to fund industry groups' detriment arguments – was specific to the Scullion model rather than a standard practice across both parties.
**The legitimate government argument:** Minister Scullion and the government maintained that the grants facilitated legitimate processes.
根据 gēn jù NT NT Land Land Rights Rights Act Act , , 损害 sǔn hài 索赔 suǒ péi 是 shì Aboriginal Aboriginal Land Land Commissioner Commissioner 必须 bì xū 考虑 kǎo lǜ 的 de 强制性 qiáng zhì xìng 要素 yào sù — — — — 不是 bú shì 旨在 zhǐ zài 阻碍 zǔ ài 土地 tǔ dì 索赔 suǒ péi 的 de 可选 kě xuǎn 附加 fù jiā 项 xiàng [ [ 1 1 ] ] 。 。
Under the NT Land Rights Act, detriment claims are mandatory considerations for the Aboriginal Land Commissioner – not optional extras designed to obstruct land claims [1].
The government's position was that without assistance for industry groups to formally articulate their detriment position, claims could not proceed through proper legal process.
The government's stated goal was to unblock these claims by enabling all parties – including industry interests – to present their formal positions, allowing the Land Commissioner to make determinations and communities to finally receive settlement outcomes.
**The legitimate criticism:** However, critics raised valid concerns:
1. **Conflict of interest:** Scullion had directly chaired the NTSC from 1994-2001 and given evidence on behalf of fishing interests in land claim disputes [1].
* * * * 合法 hé fǎ 的 de 批评 pī píng : : * * * * 然而 rán ér , , 批评者 pī píng zhě 提出 tí chū 了 le 合理 hé lǐ 的 de 担忧 dān yōu : :
Using his ministerial position to fund his former organization, even years later, created an appearance of impropriety and a direct conflict of interest [2][3].
2. **Wrong funding channel:** As the Northern Land Council noted, parties seeking detriment funding should access the Attorney-General's Department's designated process, not the Indigenous Affairs Minister's Indigenous Advancement Strategy [1].
This was a procedural/governance issue – the funds were redirected away from their stated purpose.
3. **Purpose misalignment:** The Indigenous Advancement Strategy was created "to improve the way the government does business with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, to ensure funding actually achieves outcomes" – specifically to advance Indigenous interests [1].
Using it to fund industry groups' legal arguments against Indigenous land claims represented a fundamental misalignment with the fund's stated purpose [1][3].
4. **Lack of transparency:** Labor Senator Malarndirri McCarthy raised concerns about the absence of transparency in the decision-making process, stating "there are far more questions than there are answers" [1].
2 2 . . * * * * 错误 cuò wù 的 de 资金 zī jīn 渠道 qú dào : : * * * * 正如 zhèng rú Northern Northern Land Land Council Council 所 suǒ 指出 zhǐ chū 的 de , , 寻求 xún qiú 损害 sǔn hài 资金 zī jīn 的 de 各方 gè fāng 应 yīng 通过 tōng guò Attorney Attorney - - General General ' ' s s Department Department 的 de 指定 zhǐ dìng 程序 chéng xù 获取 huò qǔ , , 而 ér 非 fēi 通过 tōng guò 原住民 yuán zhù mín 事务部长 shì wù bù zhǎng 的 de Indigenous Indigenous Advancement Advancement Strategy Strategy [ [ 1 1 ] ] 。 。
There was no public consultation or tendering process announced.
该 gāi 指控 zhǐ kòng 的 de 事实 shì shí 要素 yào sù 是 shì 准确 zhǔn què 的 de : : Scullion Scullion 确实 què shí 批准 pī zhǔn 了 le 从 cóng Indigenous Indigenous Advancement Advancement Strategy Strategy 向 xiàng 渔业 yú yè 和 hé 畜牧业 xù mù yè 团体 tuán tǐ 的 de 拨款 bō kuǎn , , 这些 zhè xiē 拨款 bō kuǎn 被 bèi 用于 yòng yú 帮助 bāng zhù 在 zài 土地 tǔ dì 权利 quán lì 纠纷 jiū fēn 中 zhōng 提交 tí jiāo 损害 sǔn hài 索赔 suǒ péi 。 。
The factual elements of the claim are accurate: Scullion did approve grants from the Indigenous Advancement Strategy to fishing and cattle industry groups, and these grants were used to help lodge detriment claims in land rights disputes.
However, the more serious issue is the governance failure: using Indigenous-focused funding from the wrong ministry channel, with a minister who had direct prior ties to the beneficiary organization, to fund industry positions against Indigenous land rights.
The claim is **true in its core assertion** but **partially misleading in framing** by omitting the statutory obligation for detriment assessment and the government's rationale.
真正 zhēn zhèng 的 de 问题 wèn tí 在于 zài yú 使用 shǐ yòng 了 le 错误 cuò wù 的 de 资金来源 zī jīn lái yuán 并 bìng 造成 zào chéng 了 le 利益冲突 lì yì chōng tū , , 而 ér 非 fēi 资助 zī zhù 损害 sǔn hài 论证 lùn zhèng 的 de 概念 gài niàn 合法性 hé fǎ xìng 。 。
The real problem was using the wrong funding source and creating a conflict of interest, not the conceptual legitimacy of funding detriment arguments.
最终评分
7.0
/ 10
部分属实
该 gāi 指控 zhǐ kòng 的 de 事实 shì shí 要素 yào sù 是 shì 准确 zhǔn què 的 de : : Scullion Scullion 确实 què shí 批准 pī zhǔn 了 le 从 cóng Indigenous Indigenous Advancement Advancement Strategy Strategy 向 xiàng 渔业 yú yè 和 hé 畜牧业 xù mù yè 团体 tuán tǐ 的 de 拨款 bō kuǎn , , 这些 zhè xiē 拨款 bō kuǎn 被 bèi 用于 yòng yú 帮助 bāng zhù 在 zài 土地 tǔ dì 权利 quán lì 纠纷 jiū fēn 中 zhōng 提交 tí jiāo 损害 sǔn hài 索赔 suǒ péi 。 。
The factual elements of the claim are accurate: Scullion did approve grants from the Indigenous Advancement Strategy to fishing and cattle industry groups, and these grants were used to help lodge detriment claims in land rights disputes.
However, the more serious issue is the governance failure: using Indigenous-focused funding from the wrong ministry channel, with a minister who had direct prior ties to the beneficiary organization, to fund industry positions against Indigenous land rights.
The claim is **true in its core assertion** but **partially misleading in framing** by omitting the statutory obligation for detriment assessment and the government's rationale.
真正 zhēn zhèng 的 de 问题 wèn tí 在于 zài yú 使用 shǐ yòng 了 le 错误 cuò wù 的 de 资金来源 zī jīn lái yuán 并 bìng 造成 zào chéng 了 le 利益冲突 lì yì chōng tū , , 而 ér 非 fēi 资助 zī zhù 损害 sǔn hài 论证 lùn zhèng 的 de 概念 gài niàn 合法性 hé fǎ xìng 。 。
The real problem was using the wrong funding source and creating a conflict of interest, not the conceptual legitimacy of funding detriment arguments.