Northern Territory Labor Senator Trish Crossin says the Federal Government has failed to tackle domestic violence and drug abuse in Indigenous communities.

Senator Crossin says $20 million was allocated towards addressing these problems, but nothing was done.

Yesterday, former ATSIC chair Lowitja O'Donoghue said Mr Howard had failed to address domestic violence in Aboriginal communities.

Professor O'Donoghue said the Federal Government last year formed, with great fanfare, a working group to advise it on Indigenous domestic violence.

But she says the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) did not even consider, let alone endorse, the working group's report.

Senator Crossin also says the report did not receive any consideration from COAG in August.

Senator Crossin says the Government could have presented the strategy to state and territory ministers at a later date.

"This is an initiative that the Howard Government could have still pursued," she said.

"There was no reason to wait for another COAG meeting.

"It could have been coordinated by state and territory premiers on behalf of the Prime Minister in the intervening period."