WGAR News: Where to now? Budget reveals attacks against Culture and our connection to our Land: Dr Woolombi Waters, The Stringer

Newsletter date: 1 June 2014

Contents:

* Pam Reilly, CAAMA Radio: New Charges to see a Doctor...Death Tax for Aboriginal people [Featuring John Paterson, CEO, Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance NT]

* Dr Woolombi Waters, The Stringer: Where to now? Budget reveals attacks against Culture and our connection to our Land [Courtesy of The National Indigenous Times]

* WGAR: Open Letter: WGAR advocates long-term funding for Aboriginal community controlled organisations

* ANTaR: Budget Response 2014: Take Action! Write to the Minister for Indigenous Affairs

* Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: Federal Budget hits hardest the most vulnerable

* Michael Coggan, ABC News: Uncertainty among Aboriginal people about impact of Federal budget

* Robert Crawford, South Coast Register: Budget 2014: 'We risk a new stolen generation'
* Background to 'Keeping Them Home': Campaign against Forced Aboriginal Adoption in the NT

* Lighting Fires: Liam McNicholas: Indigenous early learning budgets cuts are cruel and inexplicable

* Cate Swannell, MJA InSight: Budget threat to Indigenous health

* Marie McInerney, Croakey: Latest 'close the gap' update on Indigenous health underlines alarm over #Budget2014 cuts

* Greens Senator Rachel Siewert: Budget cuts threaten future Closing the Gap outcomes
* Greens Senator Rachel Siewert: PMC job cuts to affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services

* WGAR News: Aboriginal Peoples and the impact of the 2014 Federal Budget (20 May 14)
* WGAR News: This budget could devastate Indigenous Australians: Mick Gooda, ABC The Drum (22 May 14)

* PAM REILLY, CAAMA RADIO: NEW CHARGES TO SEE A DOCTOR...DEATH TAX FOR ABORIGINAL PEOPLE [FEATURING JOHN PATERSON, CEO, ABORIGINAL MEDICAL SERVICES ALLIANCE NT]

- Audio Interview

CAAMA Radio: New Charges to see a Doctor...Death Tax for Aboriginal people
[CAAMA: Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association]
http://caama.com.au/new-charges-to-see-a-doctor-death-tax-for-aboriginal...
22 May 14: "Aboriginal health organisations and health leaders met in Canberra to plan a strategy to oppose indigenous health cuts and the $7 GP co-payment, they say will widen the gap between black and white Australians. Julie Tong, CEO of Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriignal Health Service in Canberra organised the national meeting says ... Pam Reilly spoke to John Paterson CEO of the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance NT who attended the national meeting on Strong voices."

* DR WOOLOMBI WATERS, THE STRINGER: WHERE TO NOW? BUDGET REVEALS ATTACKS AGAINST CULTURE AND OUR CONNECTION TO OUR LAND [COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL INDIGENOUS TIMES]

- Analysis / Opinion

The Stringer: Where to now? Budget reveals attacks against Culture and our connection to our Land
http://thestringer.com.au/where-to-now-budget-reveals-attacks-against-cu...
23 May 14: "A couple of weeks ago I wrote the following: "Our people are hurting and are in need of love, caring and putting back on their feet. We need to feel improved self-esteem and resilience and to feel connected before moving forward. We spend enough in resources to heal rather than punish. With every article I try to promote the idea that greater social and cultural capital builds with education and this remains the key but for this to happen we need to feel a sense of belonging." Well, with the release of last week’s budget the money we were spending has been slashed and the resources required for this healing to occur decimated. So where to from here?" By Dr Woolombi Waters; Courtesy of The National Indigenous Times

Dr Woolombi Waters - The Stringer
http://thestringer.com.au/dr-woolombi-waters/
"Dr Woolombi Waters is a Kamilaroi Aboriginal man with six children. His PhD "Contemporary Urban Indigenous ‘Dreamings’: interaction, engagement and creative practice," documents surviving Kamilaroi epistemologies essential to cultural maintenance and trans-generational pedagogy. ... "

* WGAR: OPEN LETTER: WGAR ADVOCATES LONG-TERM FUNDING FOR ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY CONTROLLED ORGANISATIONS

- Letter

Open Letter: WGAR advocates long-term funding for Aboriginal community controlled organisations
http://indymedia.org.au/2014/05/29/open-letter-wgar-advocates-long-term-...
28 May 14: "Dear P.M,
We wish to formally register our opposition to the drastic cuts to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs in the 2014 Federal budget.
The Coalition’s Intervention in this country is still traumatising communities. Therefore the budget cuts further compound the oppression and defeat any chance of Self-determination.
If this is the Coalition’s intention we sincerely advise that the Coalition desists and takes a more Humanitarian approach to this country’s First Nations Peoples, consistent with International U.N Human Rights standards.
We remind you that the wealth of this country comes from Aboriginal Land and Aboriginal Peoples hold the oldest cultures and languages in the world.
We are appalled by the Coalition’s attempt to mainstream, that is assimilate, First Nations Peoples into the illegally occupied colonial society: ...
The 2014 budget is another facet of genocide policy which creates conditions of life set to destroy the group in whole or in part, as well as compounding the mental harm to members of the group. [1948 Convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide].
As a matter of urgency we encourage the Coalition to fund Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled organisations for the long term. ... "

* ANTaR: BUDGET RESPONSE 2014: TAKE ACTION! WRITE TO THE MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS

- Action

ANTaR: Budget Response 2014: Take Action! Write to the Minister for Indigenous Affairs
https://antar.org.au/campaigns/budget-response-2014#node-campaign-full-g...
"ANTaR was in Canberra for the delivery of the Federal Budget and joined Aboriginal peak bodies to voice our deep concern at the impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It was quite simply a shocking budget for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people! $534 million will be cut from Indigenous affairs in an overhaul that sees 150 programs rationalised to five. ... But we know that addressing Indigenous disadvantage requires investment not cuts! ... That's why we're asking you to write to the Minister for Indigenous Affairs to ask him to rethink the budget measures that will harm Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people."

* GERRY GEORGATOS, THE STRINGER: FEDERAL BUDGET HITS HARDEST THE MOST VULNERABLE

- Analysis / Opinion

The Stringer: Federal Budget hits hardest the most vulnerable
http://thestringer.com.au/federal-budget-hits-hardest-the-most-vulnerable/
23 May 14: "State and Federal Budgets, one after another, are hitting hardest the most vulnerable, and particularly First Nations families. According to community leaders and social health organisations, more hardship, more homelessness will be induced if the measures in this latest Federal Budget are enabled. For too many the hardships and homelessness will become intolerable, giving ever more rise to the horrific suicides crisis sweeping many First Peoples communities. Recently, I met a homeless family living in tents on the outskirts of Perth, in the bush off a major highway. ... " By Gerry Georgatos, a life-long human rights and social justice campaigner, a multi-award winning investigative journalist

* MICHAEL COGGAN, ABC NEWS: UNCERTAINTY AMONG ABORIGINAL PEOPLE ABOUT IMPACT OF FEDERAL BUDGET

- Video

ABC News: Uncertainty among Aboriginal people about impact of Federal budget
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-26/uncertainty-among-aboriginal-peopl...
26 May 14: "There's uncertainty among Aboriginal people living in remote and regional communities about the impact of welfare changes announced in the Federal budget. Plans to delay the payment of unemployment benefits to people under 30 years old have raised concern that people who struggle to access work and training will be left out of pocket. But the Federal Government says the changes will be introduced gradually in regional areas and a review of Indigenous jobs will make it easier for people to find work." Michael Coggan; Source: 7pm TV News NT

* ROBERT CRAWFORD, SOUTH COAST REGISTER: BUDGET 2014: 'WE RISK A NEW STOLEN GENERATION'

- Analysis / Opinion

South Coast Register: Budget 2014: 'We risk a new stolen generation'
http://www.southcoastregister.com.au/story/2302712/budget-2014-we-risk-a...
23 May 14: "RESPECTED Aboriginal leader Gerry Moore fears cuts in the federal budget could lead to a "second stolen generation". Mr Moore said cuts to welfare and the Aboriginal Legal Service in the Abbott government’s budget could see Aboriginal children being taken away from their parents. "There has been $13 million stripped from the Aboriginal Legal Service in the budget and I fear that could have a huge effect on Aboriginal people gaining good representation," he said." Robert Crawford

* BACKGROUND TO 'KEEPING THEM HOME': CAMPAIGN AGAINST FORCED ABORIGINAL ADOPTION IN THE NT

Last updated: 28 May 2014

http://indymedia.org.au/2013/07/03/background-to-keeping-them-home-campa...

* LIGHTING FIRES: LIAN MCNICHOLAS: INDIGENOUS EARLY LEARNING BUDGETS CUTS ARE CRUEL AND INEXPLICABLE

- Analysis / Opinion

Lighting Fires: Liam McNicholas: Indigenous early learning budgets cuts are cruel and inexplicable
http://liammcnicholas.com/2014/05/24/indigenous-early-learning-budgets-c...
24 May 14: "May is finishing up 2014 as the beginning of Reconciliation Week - a time to reflect on significant on significant political milestones for Indigenous Australians, as well as increasing support for the Recognise campaign to include First Australians in our constitution. This is ironic given that an earlier event in May, the handing down of the Federal Budget, saw widespread cuts to a number of programs, policies and agreements in Indigenous health, legal services and early childhood areas. Well, the Government would prefer we don’t use the term "cuts", but the far cuddlier "consolidations"."

"I state clearly here that I do not and would not presume to speak for Indigenous people. I am a white, middle-class, Anglo-Saxon male and as such am representative of many of the past and continuing struggles that face the First Australians on this land that was, is and shall always be Aboriginal Land. For the perspectives of Indigenous people regarding these issues, I recommend visiting the websites of SNAICC http://www.snaicc.org.au/index.cfm and Reconciliation Australia. http://reconciliation.org.au/ " Liam McNicholas

* CATE SWANNELL, MJA INSIGHT: BUDGET THREAT TO INDIGENOUS HEALTH

- Analysis / Opinion

MJA InSight: Budget threat to Indigenous health
https://www.mja.com.au/insight/2014/18/budget-threat-indigenous-health
26 May 14: "THE 2014 federal Budget has the potential to "decimate" quality primary health care for Indigenous Australians, says the president of the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association. Dr Tammy Kimpton, a GP practising in Scone, NSW, said she was "deeply disappointed but unsurprised" by the Budget, which included plans for a $7 copayment on GP visits, pathology tests and imaging, as well as a $165 million cut to Indigenous health programs (1) "The current $7 copayment proposal has the potential to decimate good quality primary care for Indigenous Australians", Dr Kimpton told MJA InSight." Cate Swannell

* 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

* 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: PMC JOB CUTS TO AFFECT ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER SERVICES

- Media Release

Greens Senator Rachel Siewert: PMC job cuts to affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services
http://rachel-siewert.greensmps.org.au/content/media-releases/pmc-job-cu...
27 May 14: "The Australian Greens said today that Indigenous Affairs staffing cuts within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (PMC) will affect the service delivery and support provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
"In Senate Estimates this morning it was revealed that 30 jobs in the Indigenous Affairs area of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet will be condensed into 20, a move that will have significant impacts," Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues said today.
"This is not red tape, this is cutting the jobs of people who have been supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and programs.
"This is another disappointing decision from the Prime Minister who proudly said he was the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs. Tony Abbott is overseeing cuts of more than half a billion dollars to services and support programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
"These cuts will have an inevitable impact on the availability of services and this is an issue I will follow closely during the rest of this week's Senate Estimates hearing," Senator Siewert concluded."

* WGAR NEWS: ABORIGINAL PEOPLES AND THE IMPACT OF THE 2014 FEDERAL BUDGET (20 MAY 14)

- Compilation

WGAR News: Aboriginal Peoples and the impact of the 2014 Federal Budget (20 May 14)
http://indymedia.org.au/2014/05/19/wgar-news-aboriginal-peoples-and-the-...
"Contents:
* Amy McQuire, The Guardian: Cash for jails: Tony Abbott's budget for Indigenous Australia
* Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: "Warren Mundine, show your face," Tauto Sansbury [Featuring Tauto Sansbury]
* Let's Talk's Tiga Bayles interviews Chris Graham speaking about and breaking down the recently announced Australian Budget
* Let's Talk's Tiga Bayles interviews Mary Graham & Monica Morgan about the upcoming Budget announcement
* NACCHO: CONGRESS 2014 Budget Response: Concern over impact of the Budget on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
* NACCHO: NACCHO Budget Response: Pressure on Indigenous health outcomes
* Statement by SNAICC Chairperson, Sharron Williams: Budget cuts will hurt Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families
* SNAICC Media Release: End the damaging stalemate NOW on funding for Aboriginal Children and Family Centres
* Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT): ALS News: An update on our services
* IAHA Media Release - Allied Health Flies Under Budget Radar
* ANTaR: A shocking Budget for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people ...
* Reconciliation Australia: 2014-15 Federal Budget Summary ... "

* WGAR NEWS: THIS BUDGET COULD DEVASTATE INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: MICK GOODA, ABC THE DRUM (22 MAY 14)

- Compilation

WGAR News: This budget could devastate Indigenous Australians: Mick Gooda, ABC The Drum (22 May 14)
http://indymedia.org.au/2014/05/22/wgar-news-this-budget-could-devastate...
"Contents:
* Mick Gooda, ABC The Drum: This budget could devastate Indigenous Australians
* Joint Press Release - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders call for scrapping of co-payments
* Joline Samawi, The Wire: Aboriginal leaders upset over co-payments [Featuring Jill Gallagher and Justin Mohamed]
* NIRS: Call to give Aboriginal Medical Centres a Co-payment break
* NIRS: GP co-payment 'removes safety net to health' ...
* SNAICC News: Where to now for Aboriginal Child and Family Centres?
* CAAMA Radio: Congress Get Cuts [Featuring Congress Co-Chair Kirstie Parker] ...
* Marnie Round, Radio Adelaide: Budget Cuts Won't Help Close The Gap [Featuring Dr Tom Calma] ... "

- - -

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