home | news l

Indigenous spending to benefit some, but still gaps galore

9 May 2007 - HREOC - Despite some welcome initiatives in relation to education and employment, the Federal Budget has missed the opportunity to close the gap in Indigenous health, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma said today.

Tom Calma social justice commissioner HREOC

“The most disappointing thing is that the government had a golden opportunity with more than a $10 billion surplus to set an ambitious path towards closing the 17-year gap in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

“The Treasurer noted in his budget speech that Australia is different to the way it was 10 years ago and that we had come a long way and made a lot of progress. He said the budget objective was ‘to lock in that progress’ and address the future challenges facing our nation.

“It is a matter of great disappointment that there is no recognition of the enormous health  challenges facing us for Indigenous peoples, who have barely shared in the gains of this past decade, nor any recognition that improving this situation amounts to one of the major challenges facing us into the coming decade.

“I said in my 2005 Social Justice Report that achieving equality in life expectancy rates for Indigenous people within 25 years is an achievable goal.

“This budget has missed the opportunity to make a down payment on a positive future for Indigenous people.”

Mr Calma said the federal Government’s decision to abolish the Community Housing Infrastructure Program (CHIP) and replace it with the Australian Remote Indigenous Accommodation (ARIA) Program looks like an attempt to lock Indigenous people out of planning and management of their own lives and communities.

“The ARIA program cuts out communal ownership and gets rid of Aboriginal controlled housing,” Mr Calma said.

“I have significant concerns about how this will impact on Indigenous people in urban areas, where acute housing shortages are combined with problems of affordability. We have no indication of how this serious gap in policy will be addressed.

Mr Calma also questioned the sustainability of programs to develop the Indigenous workforce and said any initiatives must see government willing to work with local communities.

Media contact: Louise McDermott (02) 9284 9851 or 0419 258 597

Source: Human Rights and Equal Oppurtunity Commission HREOC

Further information: social justice issues page - includes news index and external links

|| click to go to the top of this page