One of Australia ’ s leading country musicians has claimed that Prime Minister Tony Abbott ’ s recent ‘ lifestyle choices ’ comment put ‘ race relations back 100 years ’ . Speaking on ABCs Q & A programme Troy Cassar-Daley , the son of a Maltese-Australian father and an Aboriginal mother , blasted Mr Abbott for backing a plan in Western Australia to close more than 100 remote communities and move more than 1,000 people . 'What we ca n't do is endlessly subsidise lifestyle choices , ’ Mr Abbott controversially said . It was a remark that angered the Indigenous musician . Scroll down for video . Australian country singer Troy Cassar-Daley could not hide his shock and anger on ABC ’ s Q & A programme . The Indigenous musician was reacting to Prime Minister Tony Abbott 's comment about living on remote communities being a lifestyle choice . ‘ Lifestyle choices , wow , what a comment – it took race relations back a hundred years , ' Cassar-Daley said . 'It really did . To be spiritually connected to the land you live on is not a lifestyle choice . ‘ You are part of that country and you want to live your life the way your ancestors did . Maybe take your kids into the bush and show them how to hunt . But if you ’ re in a welfare cycle it ’ s very hard to break from it . ‘ But if these people are being displaced again from land it would just be destroying them . It destroys culture . What other option do they have ? Casser-Daly believed that being 'spiritually connected to the land you live on is not a lifestyle choice ' Assistant Minister for Health , Fiona Nash , listens on as Cassar-Daley reacts to Mr Abbott 's comments on ABC 's Q & A programme . ‘ Do they go into town and get into trouble and become a burden there to the police force and everyone else ? Or are they allowed to stay on the country where their spirit is happiest ? ’ Assistant Minister for Health , Fiona Nash , was also appearing on the programme . She was asked if what the Prime Minister had said was a hard phrase to defend , to which she replied : 'It 's probably not a phrase I would have used . ' Cassar-Daley believed that Western Australia was such a mineral rich place , that the mining companies could help these communities and give them a reason to stay on the land . ‘ The optimum goal should be to keep these people in these communities , ’ he said . Tony Abbot 's ‘ lifestyle choices ’ comment came in for huge criticism from Indigenous leaders . The multi-award-winning country musician from to Grafton in north-eastern New South Wales , was worried that the Prime Minster may got these ideas from a focus group . ‘ These people haven ’ t been out into the regions to see how these people live , they haven ’ t seen how happy the kids are , ’ he said . ‘ They haven ’ t seen the power of the elders being able to sit down in their own environment and impart stuff to these kids . ‘ That can ’ t happen on city streets . To me it ’ s a criminal act to take people off land again and push them aside like they ’ re not wanted. ’ The singer also said he 'd also like to know what the government in Western Australia wanted to do with that land anyway . The multi-award-winning country musician believed that every effort should be made to keep the people in these Western Australia communities . The Prime Minister ’ s contentious ‘ life choices ’ comment was aimed at people living in remote places that are ‘ not self-sufficient or self-sustaining ’ . Many were angered by his remarks that governments could not 'endlessly subsidise lifestyle choices ' . Mr Abbott tried to clarify this by saying he was focused on the practical impacts of living in remote settlements such as access to schooling , jobs and services . Cassar-Daley ( right ) explains to the Q & A panel why he thinks Mr Abbott 's remarks were out of line . Mr Abbott said he was focused on the practical impacts of living in remote settlements such as access to schooling , jobs and services . 'If you or I chose to live in a very remote place , to what extent is the taxpayer obliged to subsidise our services ? ' he said . His comments still came in for huge criticism from Indigenous leaders and commentators across the country , however .
Furious Indigenous musician reacts to Prime Minister 's stance . Prime Minister said taxpayers should n't fund people 's 'lifestyle choices ' Plan is for Western Australia to close more than 100 remote communities . Comment: He argues the goal should be to keep these people in these communities . Cassar-Daley describes it as a 'criminal act ' for people to be forced off land . Mr Abbot 's comment came in for huge criticism from Indigenous leaders .