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Latest Audit Office report again shows mainstreaming and paternalism fails Indigenous Australians - it's time for a whole new approach

20 October 2007 - Media Statement

SENATOR ANDREW BARTLETT
Queensland Democrat Senator

queensland's only independent voice in the senate

Queensland Democrat Senator Andrew Bartlett has called for an urgent shift away from the federal government's policy of mainstreaming services for Indigenous Australians, following the release this week of yet another damning report from the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) into the federal government's much-vaunted 'whole of government' approach.

"This latest report reinforces once more what the Democrats have been saying for many years and what report after report shows. The only way to provide effective services to Indigenous Australians is to listen to local communities, give them an ongoing role in service delivery and make sure the service suits the community it is meant to be helping," Senator Bartlett said.

"Ideologically motivated 'one size fits all' or 'we know best'approaches have failed every time. "

"Governments are bad enough delivering basic services tonon-Indigenous Australians. Government's capacity to do this properly with Indigenous peoples, with all the different cultural and socialaspects involved, has been shown to be inadequate time and time again."

As ANTaR Queensland's inaugural 'Close the Gap' awards showed thisweek, and their earlier "Success Stories in Indigenous Health' report, the best and most sustainable health outcomes came with heavy engagement and input from Indigenous people at a local level, rather than a hands-off, centrally devised and run government program.

"It's time to have enough honesty to admit that we don't know best inthis area and actually listen to Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders people about what works and what doesn't, and let them help make ithappen."

Senator Bartlett launched the Democrats Indigenous Affairs election platform Putting Our First Peoples First this week. This was the first major package of the campaign released by Senator Bartlett.

A key part of any policy package on Indigenous issues must include ongoing input and control by Indigenous people over decisions and activities that affect them.

Source: Senator Andrew Bartlett

A copy of the platform can be found here:
http://andrewbartlett.com/data/elction%20platforms%2007-%20indigenous2.pdf

Further information: election 2007 issues page - includes news index and external links