Newsletter date: 30 May 2014
Contents:
* NACCHO: Aboriginal controlled health services can close the gap in employment
* Eduardo Jordan, The Wire: Are we really closing the gap? [Featuring Greg Craven and Justin Mohamed]
* NACCHO: Fears Tony Abbott will widen Indigenous health gap
* The Stringer: Who do we believe? Different findings, Reform Council & Close the Gap
* Marie McInerney, Croakey: Latest 'close the gap' update on Indigenous health underlines alarm over #Budget2014 cuts
* Michael McKenna, The Australian: Health overhaul closes the gap
* Greens Senator Rachel Siewert: Budget cuts threaten future Closing the Gap outcomes
* Greens Senator Rachel Siewert: Greens call for end to Stronger Futures
* Background to the Northern Territory (NT) Intervention
* Background to 'Stronger Futures' new NT Intervention laws
* NACCHO: ABORIGINAL CONTROLLED HEALTH SERVICES CAN CLOSE THE GAP IN EMPLOYMENT
- Report
NACCHO: Aboriginal controlled health services can close the gap in employment
[NACCHO: National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation]
NACCHO: http://nacchocommunique.com/2014/05/23/aboriginal-controlled-health-serv...
IAHA: http://iaha.com.au/aboriginal-controlled-health-services-can-close-the-g...
23 May 14: "Investing in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services will help address the increasing gap in employment outcomes between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people as revealed in the new report released by the COAG Reform Council. ... Justin Mohamed, Chairperson of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) said the COAG Reform Council report showed encouraging gains are being made in areas such as life expectancy, child mortality and immunisation, but unemployment and obesity rates needed greater attention."
Download full report here:
https://www.coagreformcouncil.gov.au/reports/indigenous-refo
http://www.coagreformcouncil.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/Indigenous...
* EDUARDO JORDAN, THE WIRE: ARE WE REALLY CLOSING THE GAP? [FEATURING GREG CRAVEN AND JUSTIN MOHAMED]
- Audio
The Wire: Are we really closing the gap?
Produced by Eduardo Jordan
http://www.thewire.org.au/storyDetail.aspx?ID=11571
23 May 14: "This week, the Council of Australian Governments' Reform Council released a report regarding the actual situation of the Indigenous reforms on closing the gap. The report shows education in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities is getting better, whereas health issues are still a concern. The Closing the Gap reforms have been an ongoing issue and businesses, the government, and the community are helping to close it. Are these reforms achievable in the future? ...
Featured in story:
* Greg Craven - Deputy Chairman of the COAG Reform Council
* Justin Mohamed - Chairman of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation"
* NACCHO: FEARS TONY ABBOTT WILL WIDEN INDIGENOUS HEALTH GAP
- Analysis / Opinion
NACCHO: Fears Tony Abbott will widen Indigenous health gap
[NACCHO: National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation]
http://nacchocommunique.com/2014/05/23/fears-tony-abbott-will-widen-indi...
23 May 14: "THE deputy chairman of Tony Abbott’s indigenous advisory council, doctor Ngiare Brown, has denounced budget cuts to indigenous affairs and says the $7 GP co-payment will hurt indigenous people and other vulnerable Australians who desperately need help to close the health gap. Professor Brown will use next week’s meeting of the council to warn that the cuts to indigenous health will inevitably affect frontline services. She told The Australian she would use her role on the council to push for reconsideration of the co-payment scheme and exemptions for vulnerable Australians and indigenous people based on income and burden of disease. ... "
* THE STRINGER: WHO DO WE BELIEVE? DIFFERENT FINDINGS, REFORM COUNCIL & CLOSE THE GAP
- Analysis / Opinion
The Stringer: Who do we believe? Different findings, Reform Council & Close the Gap
http://thestringer.com.au/who-do-we-believe-different-findings-reform-co...
25 May 14: "The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Reform Council reports that in real terms there has been no bridging of literacy rates for Aboriginal peoples. But recently the Close the Gap campaign claimed there had been a bridging of the gap with literacy. But, according to the Reform Council, that little bridge was a perceptual one, with the decline of literacy rates for non-Aboriginal students the reason why it appeared that there had been a bridging of the divide." By The Stringer
* MARIE MCINERNEY, CROAKEY: LATEST 'CLOSE THE GAP' UPDATE ON INDIGENOUS HEALTH UNDERLINES ALARM OVER #Budget2014 CUTS
- News Analysis
Croakey - the Crikey health blog: Latest 'close the gap' update on Indigenous health underlines alarm over #Budget2014 cuts
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/croakey/2014/05/23/latest-close-the-gap-updat...
23 May 14: "The Close the Gap Campaign’s response to the COAG Reform Council’s latest report on Indigenous health sums up the terrible misdirection of the Federal Government’s 2014 Budget, which is inflicting pain in all the wrong places and puts at risk recent gains and its own priorities. "Mixed results on closing the gap confirms alarm over budget cuts" was the CTG Campaign’s verdict on the latest - and possibly last - independent update on the Close the Gap agenda." Marie McInerney
* MICHAEL MCKENNA, THE AUSTRALIAN: HEALTH OVERHAUL CLOSES THE GAP
- News
The Australian: Health overhaul closes the gap
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/policy/health-overhaul-...
26 May 14: "SIX months has been added to the life expectancy of Aborigines living in southeast Queensland with the launch of streamlined chronic-disease services and aggressive preventive health programs masterminded by local indigenous medical clinics. Just five years after overhauling the region’s indigenous health services, the rate of diabetes-related illnesses, chronic heart disease, smoking and obesity has fallen dramatically among the 70,000 Aborigines living in and around Brisbane." Michael McKenna
* GREENS SENATOR RACHEL SIEWERT: BUDGET CUTS THREATEN FUTURE CLOSING THE GAP OUTCOMES
- Media Release
Greens Senator Rachel Siewert: Budget cuts threaten future Closing the Gap outcomes
http://rachel-siewert.greensmps.org.au/content/media-releases/budget-cut...
23 May 14: "The Australian Greens said today that the COAG Reform Council's final report on the nation's Closing the Gap targets highlights the serious threat posed by the Abbott Government's budget cuts to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs.
"Today's COAG Reform Council's report on the Closing the Gap agenda shows encouraging progress in areas such as child mortality, literacy and some progress in closing of the gap in life expectancy," Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues said today.
"It is encouraging that outcomes in a number of areas are improving, however employment remains a concern. The Council has noted the need to increase the rate at which the life expectancy gap is closing if we are to reach our target by 2030.
"To continue and more importantly improve progress, we need long term funding and cooperation between the Commonwealth, states and territories, but the Government's budget has cut funding and has scaled up conflict with the states.
"Tony Abbott has cast serious doubt across a range of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs as a result of budget cuts, with over half a billion dollars being axed, including $165.8 million in health funding. ... "
* GREENS SENATOR RACHEL SIEWERT: GREENS CALL FOR END TO STRONGER FUTURES
- Media Release
Greens Senator Rachel Siewert: Greens call for end to Stronger Futures
http://rachel-siewert.greensmps.org.au/content/media-releases/greens-cal...
24 May 14: "The Australian Greens have called for the Stronger Futures regime to be abandoned and for the Government to work with Aboriginal communities to develop effective and cooperative programs that are delivered in partnership with communities.
"The NT Intervention and Stronger Futures policies have been expensive, wasteful and ineffective, they have not delivered the health, social, education and employment outcomes we need," Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues said today.
"The latest Stronger Futures report shows that for all the money put into this approach, the outcomes are just not there. This is deeply disappointing, and people across the community have been raising these concerns for years, but neither the Coalition or ALP governments have listened.
"The few positive gains that have been made could have come through direct investments in communities and effective programs, but instead, governments are persisting with a flawed, top-down approach.
"The disappointment about this report is magnified by the fact that $534 million is being stripped from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs in the budget, which will take vital funding away from effective programs while the Government pushes on with the Stronger Futures regime. ... "
* BACKGROUND TO THE NORTHERN TERRITORY (NT) INTERVENTION:
Last updated: 27 May 2014
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/22/background-to-the-northern-territory-...
* BACKGROUND TO 'STRONGER FUTURES' NEW NT INTERVENTION LAWS:
Last updated: 27 May 2014
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/22/background-to-stronger-futures-new-nt...
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