Tony Abbott is a 'pretender': Peris

Prime Minister Tony Abbott is a "pretender" and insincere about indigenous people, Senator Nova Peris says.

The Northern Territory Labor senator said Mr Abbott's "true colours" were becoming more evident every day.

"He is effectively saying Aboriginal people's personal and spiritual beliefs and the decisions they make don't matter," she told AAP.

Backing the WA government's decision to close down 150 remote indigenous communities, Mr Abbott on Tuesday said indigenous Australians were making "lifestyle choices" by living remotely, and taxpayers should not have to endlessly subsidise communities with no economic future.

"In the territory Aboriginal people call him 'The Gammon Man'," Ms Peris said.

"Aboriginal people choose to live on their country because it is our home. It's not a lifestyle choice. Tony Abbott is totally ignorant and dismissive of our deep connections to country."

The NT government fully supported indigenous people living on country where their cultural connection "is so important it cannot be dismissed", Chief Minister Adam Giles said.

The government has been pushing for economic development in indigenous communities, particularly in the Tiwi Islands and Arnhem Land.

It has also been investing in roads, bridges and telecommunications infrastructure to support the communities.

"We do not support people leaving their communities and coming into town as a defunding approach," Mr Giles told reporters on Wednesday.

"I don't think we should be prescriptive about telling people where they should or shouldn't live."

Aboriginal Country Liberals MLA Bess Price was angry and disappointed by the prime minister's comments, and would like to see him apologise.

"I'm hoping after this episode Tony Abbott will understand now not to open his mouth, but rethink what he has to say," she said.

She suggested he needed cross-cultural training, and said he should not be out of touch with indigenous people, given how much time he has spent in remote communities.

The prime minister's bush trips were "just window dressing", said Joe Morrison, chief executive of the Northern Land Council.

"Unfortunately, it's now increasingly becoming apparent that the notion or brand of him being prime minister for indigenous Australia is just a slogan for him to be elected," he told AAP.

He said there was a lack of willingness for the government to engage indigenous people to discuss the future, and said Mr Abbott's comments were colonialist.

"We think it would be useful for him to convene a high-level summit with indigenous leaders around the country to reset the relationship with Aboriginal people," Mr Morrison said.

"We need to get ourselves out of the malaise we find ourselves in (with the federal government)."

Read more at http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/03/11/11/59/nt-investing-in-indigenous-communities#DMEsbo2zMq5DCYsI.99