Prime Minister Tony Abbott won't concede he made a poor choice of words in saying taxpayers shouldn't be subsidising the "lifestyle choices" of indigenous people living in remote communities.
Mr Abbott said it was not realistic in some remote communities to get children to go to school or adults to find jobs.
He said if people wanted to say he should have expressed himself differently, that was their right.
Asked if he agreed it was a poor choice of words, he said he wouldn't concede that.
"I accept that people have a right to be critical of me but I am certainly not going to concede that," he told Sky News.
Mr Abbott said there were a lot of people out there looking to be outraged and a little more give and take would be helpful.
Mr Abbott said he was not talking about closing down larger remote communities.
"We are talking about very, very, very, very, very small places that might have a dozen or fewer people," he said.
Mr Abbott said children needed to go to schools, adults needed to go to work and communities needed to be safe.
He said he remained committed to constitutional recognition of indigenous people but it would be difficult in this term of parliament.
"I think probably early in the next term of parliament would be the time to do it. Many have suggested May 27, 2017 may well be a fitting day, the 50th anniversary of the 1967 referendum," he said.
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