Report calls for intervention expansion

Parents who fail to send their kids to school could have their income support cut, as part of the federal government's plan to extend the Northern Territory Intervention.

Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin launched the government's 'Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory' report at Yipirinya primary school today.

The report is the outcome of a six-week long consultation process with communities in Alice Springs, and education is its main focus.

It urges the government to tie the welfare of parents to kids' school attendance rates, with the Opposition backing such call.

"If the government is urgently going to get more kids to school more often, it's high time the truancy laws were enforced," Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said.

Improving joblessness and housing, and reducing alcohol abuse also top the report's recommendations.

"We need to keep the alcohol controls and make sure we deal with alcohol in the Northern Territory," Minister Macklin said.

Despite the strong calls for ending grog-related violence, the government has not introduced a floor price for alcohol.

'The Stronger Futures' report could pave the way for another NT Intervention. The original intervention was introduced by the Howard Government in 2007 and Labor has supported elements of it ever since.

And the current government says the release of this report shows the intervention has the support of the community as well.

That allegation has been hotly disputed, with both the Greens and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commissioner saying the findings aren't representative of community opinion.

"This is a very complicated process. It covers a whole lot of very in-depth, detailed issues, so it's the six-week timeframe we have a problem with," Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda said.

The Greens have said they won't support any new legislation relating to the Intervention.

Legislation relating to the existing intervention expires next year.