Former federal minister Mal Brough has described some indigenous communities as "hellholes worse than Mad Max" and says people should be encouraged to leave them.
Mr Brough was the indigenous affairs minister in the Howard government when it staged its Northern Territory intervention and says towns like Aurukun will continue to be places of despair without the right action, including proper jobs.
"We give so many people the option to do nothing. (But they've got) a good four-wheel drive, a tinny to go fishing," he told The Courier-Mail.
Mr Brough made the comments while discussing a recently released report that found a "deeply shocking" prevalence of sexual abuse and violence in Aurukun and West Cairns.
He said problem-plagued communities would remain that way unless meaningful jobs were created, residents had the opportunity to own their homes and welfare was curtailed.
Mr Brough said people should be encouraged to leave some communities and some tiny settlements with fewer than 10 people should be shut down.
The MP, who won't recontest his Queensland seat of Fisher at the next election, also questioned the apparent apathy that followed the recent suicide of a 10-year-old indigenous girl in Western Australia
He said there would have been outrage for days had it been a white girl from a capital city.
Share
