Indigenous spending is failing to close the gaps and must be comprehensively audited to determine why.

One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson said her party’s plan to audit indigenous spending, abolish the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) and scrap wasteful indigenous grants would save taxpayers up to $12.5 billion per year.

“I made my name calling for equal treatment and spending for all Australians regardless of race, and calling for assistance to be given based on an individual’s need not their race,” Senator Hanson said.

“I was kicked out of the Liberal Party in 1996 for saying this, but they are now saying exactly the same thing: assistance should be provided based on need, not race. I’m glad they’ve finally come around to a better way of thinking. You close the gaps by treating people everyone the same, not differently. The Coalition now supports my call for an audit.

“Giving billions of taxpayer dollars to the aboriginal industry is not working. The money doesn’t get to the indigenous Australians who really need it. It just ends up in the pockets of those who run the industry: the land councils, the indigenous corporations and charities, and the academics and activists who failed to deceive Australians into supporting the voice to Parliament, with Labor wasting $450 million on the 2023 referendum.

“Indigenous and non-indigenous Australians are sick of the waste. They’re sick of the corruption. One Nation’s policy will abolish the wasteful NIAA and its $4.5 billion annual budget, and comprehensively audit all indigenous grant spending to eliminate up to another $8 billion in wasteful spending each year that achieves nothing for truly disadvantaged indigenous Australians.

“It’s a major component of our plan to slash $90 billion in government waste, put $40 billion more in Australians’ pockets, pay down debt and invest in our future.

“One Nation will not support any taxpayer funding for ‘welcome to country’ or similar rituals. If indigenous people or groups want to perform them they are free to do so with their own resources, not everyone else’s. For many years it’s also been One Nation’s position that only one flag – the Australian flag – is flown to represent our country. I’m glad the Liberals have copied this too.

“It’s also our policy to remove the boxes on forms that are ticked to claim an Australian’s indigenous heritage. There’s only one identity that should matter when it comes to taxpayer-funded assistance or grants, or applying for a job, course of education or a loan: that you are Australian.

“Enough of racial division. Enough of the victimhood ideology that allows those with indigenous heritage to get special treatment and consideration; being indigenous doesn’t make an Australian disadvantaged if they choose not to be. Let’s cut the waste and deliver assistance to those indigenous Australians who truly need it.”

END