The former PM received a cool reception from the Northern Territory community of Borroloola

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Tony Abbott has come in for some fierce criticism from Indigenous parliamentarians, parents, educators and elders while receiving a cool reception from the Northern Territory community of Borroloola this week.

Abbott has been on his first tour of the NT since being appointed special envoy on Indigenous affairs, and has said his priority is improving school attendance and education. He visited the communities of Galiwin’ku and Warruwi on Tuesday.

But at Borroloola on Wednesday, the community was surprised when Abbott “just rocked up”, Garrwa and Yanyuwa parent and school council member Gadrian Hoosan told Guardian Australia.

“We asked him, ‘why are you here?’ He said, ‘I’m here because I heard that a lot of kids are not attending school’. But Borroloola school has one of the highest attendance rates in the NT. We were confused.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Garrwa and Yanyuwa man Gadrian Hoosan with a message for Tony Abbott.

“He was really arrogant. He didn’t want to sit down and listen to us.”

Hoosan said that the community wanted to talk about other issues, particularly the quality of drinking water, which has been an ongoing problem, and their concerns about fracking.

“But he didn’t want to listen to us,” Hoosan said. “He wanted to get up and walk away. He didn’t want to answer our questions.

“He’s living in the past.”

Parents, elders and school council members also reportedly challenged Abbott over his previous comments that Aboriginal children should not only speak English first but “think” in English too.

“Tony Abbott says he wants Aboriginal culture and language out of our schools but we know these things are what keep our kids and our communities strong and healthy,” Jack Green, an elder and bilingual education advocate from Borroloola said.

“As elders and educators, we know what is best for our children. It’s time he stepped back, stood down and let us speak for ourselves.”

Hoosan put up a sign for Abbott to see as he left the community.

“We have a strong school here and strong families. He’ll be having nightmares tonight. We told him we don’t want him as our envoy.”

Abbott told 2GB radio last month that the portfolio of Indigenous affairs “requires prime ministerial authority to get things done ... it doesn’t need people running around at the margins; it needs someone at the very top to cut through”.

Tony Abbott (@TonyAbbottMHR) Like so many remote schools, Galiwinku has its problems but the community is all pulling together to try to ensure that more and more children attend and that they’re getting better and better results. pic.twitter.com/HOKIlrE1NL

The federal Labor senator Malarndirri McCarthy is a Yanyuwa traditional owner from Borroloola, and said she was surprised Abbott had visited her home community.

“The people of Borroloola people are expressing what a lot of First Nations people are feeling across Australia, that this is a waste of their time,” McCarthy said.

“They don’t want Tony Abbott as their voice, they have their own voice and they are prepared to use it.”

The NT minister for Aboriginal affairs, Ken Vowles, was equally unimpressed.

Vowles, a Wakaya and Waramunga man, told Guardian Australia “when Tony Abbott was prime minister he stripped $534.4m from the federal Indigenous affairs portfolio.

“He is also the man who said Aboriginal Australians living on their traditional lands in remote communities were making a ‘lifestyle choice’ and shouldn’t complain if services were cut.

“Tony Abbott did nothing for Aboriginal people, especially Aboriginal Territorians, as prime minister. I fail to see how he will do anything as the Indigenous affairs special envoy.

“His recent trip was nothing more than a photo opportunity to say he is ‘on the job’.”

Guardian Australia has contacted Abbott’s office for comment.