Newsletter date: 8 May 2014
Contents:
* National Congress of Australia's First Peoples: Congress Urges Caution on Commission of Audit
* Background to National Congress of Australia's First Peoples
* SNAICC News: Government must reject push towards mainstreaming in Indigenous Affairs
* SNAICC News: Health co-payment would be a setback for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: NAACHO
* NACCHO 2014 budget funding news: Aboriginal controlled health services get 12 month funding lifeline
* NACCHO: NACCHO welcomes 12-month funding commitment to Aboriginal services: now need to move to long-term funding model
* WGAR News: Commission of Audit: Aboriginal health would suffer: NACCHO political alert (4 May 14)
* Lisa Thorpe, New Matilda: Aboriginal Learning Centres Are Working
* NIRS: Calma calls for budget commitment to closing the gap
* Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: Where is the Indigenous Advisory Council on Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme?
* SBS News: Fears cuts could harm indigenous programs
* Oliver Laughland, The Guardian: Indigenous programs should be 'consolidated', audit report says
* NATIONAL CONGRESS OF AUSTRALIA'S FIRST PEOPLES: CONGRESS URGES CAUTION ON COMMISSION OF AUDIT
- Media Release
National Congress of Australia's First Peoples: Congress Urges Caution on Commission of Audit
http://nationalcongress.com.au/congress-urges-caution-on-commission-of-a...
http://nationalcongress.com.au/news-pics/
http://www.nationalcongress.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/CongressNa...
7 May 14: "The National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples is deeply concerned at what it considers to be flawed and shallow recommendations by the National Commission of Audit in relation to Indigenous expenditure, and urges the Abbott Government to proceed with caution in its response.
"This is solely an accounting exercise. This process counts dollars and ignores the people. It’s about cutting expenditure. And there appears little rigour or evidence to justify the recommendations," said Co-Chairs Les Malezer and Kirstie Parker.
Congress notes the Government is not obliged to implement the Commission’s recommendations and calls for talks between the Government and Congress, as the national representative body of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
"The Commission report quoted a Department of Finance’s Strategic Review of Indigenous Expenditure in 2010 observation that ‘The history of Commonwealth policy for Indigenous Australians over the past 40 years is largely a story of good intentions, flawed policies, unrealistic assumptions, poor implementation, unintended consequences and dashed hopes’," Mr Malezer said.
"We couldn’t agree more. Unfortunately, the Commission’s recommendations look to perpetuate that sorry tale. ... "
* BACKGROUND TO NATIONAL CONGRESS OF AUSTRALIA'S FIRST PEOPLES:
Last updated: 3 May 2014
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/05/05/background-to-the-national-congress-o...
* SNAICC NEWS: GOVERNMENT MUST REJECT PUSH TOWARDS MAINSTREAMING IN INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS
- Media Release
SNAICC News: Media Release 6 May 2014 - Government must reject push towards mainstreaming in Indigenous Affairs
[SNAICC: Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care]
http://snaicc.org.au/news-events/fx-view-article.cfm?loadref=32&id=1428
http://www.snaicc.org.au/_uploads/rsfil/03289.pdf
6 May 14: "SNAICC calls on the Australian Government to completely reject the Commission of Audit’s recommendation to implement a voucher-based program to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children with the costs of education.
The proposed change - and the Commission’s push for a greater role for mainstream early childhood services -would steer the delivery of services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander citizens away from community control.
If accepted, the recommendations would again assign a passive role to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in planning and delivering services to improve their quality of life - a lack of engagement that is at the heart of the major policy failures in Indigenous affairs since the 1970s.
The voucher system being touted is a simplistic and paternalistic idea totally lacking in social context. Family finances is not the only issue that is hampering access to and participation in quality education services by our children and families. There are many factors inhibiting education outcomes, including a lack of basic services, particularly in remote communities. ... "
* SNAICC NEWS: HEALTH CO-PAYMENT WOULD BE A SETBACK FOR ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLE: NAACHO
- News
SNAICC News: Health co-payment would be a setback for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: NAACHO
[SNAICC: Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care]
http://www.snaicc.org.au/news-events/fx-view-article.cfm?loadref=32&id=1427
5 May 14: "The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) has called for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to be exempt from any health co-payments to prevent any backward steps in Aboriginal health. NACCHO Chair Justin Mohamed said the introduction of co-payments for basic health care such as GP visits and medicines, as recommended by the Commission of Audit, would increase barriers for many Aboriginal people to look after their own health."
* NACCHO 2014 BUDGET FUNDING NEWS: ABORIGINAL CONTROLLED HEALTH SERVICES GET 12 MONTH FUNDING LIFELINE
- News
NACCHO 2014 budget funding news: Aboriginal controlled health services get 12 month funding lifeline
[NACCHO: National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation]
http://nacchocommunique.com/2014/05/07/naccho-2014-budget-funding-news-a...
7 May 14: "The extension recognised the significant contribution Aboriginal-run health services were making to closing the health gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. This means we will be able to continue to provide high quality, culturally appropriate health care to our people for another 12 months," NACCHO chairman Justin Mohamed
"INDIGENOUS-run health services will receive a 12-month lifeline in next week’s federal budget and a further five programs will be funded until June next year at a total cost of $431 million. The Australian can reveal Health Minister Peter Dutton has approved funding of $333m for 2014-15 for the 150 National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations across the nation."
* NACCHO: NACCHO WELCOMES 12-MONTH FUNDING COMMITMENT TO ABORIGINAL SERVICES: NOW NEED TO MOVE TO LONG-TERM FUNDING MODEL
- Media Release
NACCHO: NACCHO welcomes 12-month funding commitment to Aboriginal services: now need to move to long-term funding model
[NACCHO: National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation]
http://www.naccho.org.au/download/media-press-releases/NACCHO%20Press%20...
7 May 14: "Aboriginal people around Australia will welcome the Federal Government’s announcement that primary health funding for Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services has been extended for twelve months, said the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) today.
Justin Mohamed, NACCHO Chair, said the announcement recognised the significant contribution Aboriginal run health services are making to closing the appalling health gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.
"NACCHO welcomes the extension of funding for the 150 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services around Australia," Mr Mohamed said.
"This means we will be able to continue to provide high quality, culturally appropriate health care to our people for another twelve months.
"Yet there remains a level of uncertainty about what we will be able to continue to provide after the 2014/15 financial year. ... ""
* WGAR NEWS: COMMISSION OF AUDIT: ABORIGINAL HEALTH WOULD SUFFER: NACCHO POLITICAL ALERT (4 MAY 14)
- Compilation
WGAR News: Commission of Audit: Aboriginal health would suffer: NACCHO political alert (4 May 14)
http://indymedia.org.au/2014/05/03/wgar-news-commission-of-audit-aborigi...
"Contents:
* NACCHO political alert: Commission of Audit: Aboriginal health would suffer
* NACCHO breaking news: Federal government Commission of Audit Indigenous programmes ... "
* LISA THORPE, NEW MATILDA: ABORIGINAL LEARNING CENTRES ARE WORKING
- Analysis / Opinion
New Matilda: Aboriginal Learning Centres Are Working
https://newmatilda.com/2014/05/06/aboriginal-learning-centres-are-working
6 May 14: "Indigenous early childhood development centres must be kept from the Coalition's budget wrecking ball. The CEO of one of those centres, Lisa Thorpe, explains why. In 2009, all states and territories signed a national partnership agreement with the Federal Government on Indigenous early childhood development - part of which was a four-year federal funding commitment to establish Aboriginal early learning centres in 38 disadvantaged communities across Australia. Staff at the centres are now nervously awaiting next week’s federal budget ... " By Lisa Thorpe, CEO of the Bubup Wilam Early Learning Aboriginal Children and Family Centre in Melbourne
* NIRS: CALMA CALLS FOR BUDGET COMMITMENT TO CLOSING THE GAP
- Audio
NIRS: Calma calls for budget commitment to closing the gap
http://www.nirs.org.au/blog/NEWS/article/33720/Calma-calls-for-budget-co...
7 May 14: "Dr Tom Calma (pictured), a long-time health and human rights campaigner, is Co-Chair of Reconciliation Australia and Chancellor of the University of Canberra. He told Bumma Bippera Media the Government must keep its commitment to closing the gap a priority, which means working with First Nations communities." By Warren Barnsley/Bumma Bippera Media
* GERRY GEORGATOS, THE STRINGER: WHERE IS THE INDIGENOUS ADVISORY COUNCIL ON PHARMACEUTICAL BENEFITS SCHEME?
- Analysis / Opinion
The Stringer: Where is the Indigenous Advisory Council on Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme?
http://thestringer.com.au/where-is-the-indigenous-advisory-council-on-ph...
2 May 14: "The head of South Australia’s Narrunga People, former long serving health manager, Tauto Sansbury is concerned that the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme will be hit in the May 13 Budget and in turn slate hardship on extremely vulnerable First Peoples communities. Mr Sansbury is critical of Warren Mundine’s pre-empting of a slash and burn Budget and that First Peoples should in effect be prepared to accept it. The Chair of the Prime Minister’s Indigenous Advisory Council, Warren Mundine, has warned his fellow councillors "to be prepared to be among the most hated people in Australia" after next month’s Federal Budget." By Gerry Georgatos, a life-long human rights and social justice campaigner, a multi-award winning investigative journalist
- Related Media Releases
Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA): Commission of Audit wrong in approach to pharmacists
http://iaha.com.au/commission-of-audit-wrong-in-approach-to-pharmacists/
Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA): Audit Commission recommendations would decimate pharmacy and the PBS
http://iaha.com.au/audit-commission-recommendations-would-decimate-pharm...
* SBS NEWS: FEARS CUTS COULD HARM INDIGENOUS PROGRAMS
- News
SBS News: Fears cuts could harm indigenous programs
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/05/07/fears-cuts-could-harm-indi...
7 May 14: "It's likely some indigenous affairs programs will be consolidated or cut in Tuesday's federal budget. ... The National Congress of Australia's First People says some communities are still feeling the pinch from the Howard government's razor gang in 1996. "At the local level now there are no longer resources to deal with community dysfunction problems," chairman Les Maleze said, citing cuts to organisations working with women and youth as an example. He's concerned about cuts already announced that will hit organisations doing indigenous advocacy work. "It's a recipe for disaster," he said." Source: AAP
* OLIVER LAUGHLAND, THE GUARDIAN: INDIGENOUS PROGRAMS SHOULD BE 'CONSOLIDATED', AUDIT REPORT SAYS
- News
The Guardian: Indigenous programs should be 'consolidated', audit report says
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/01/indigenous-programs-should-...
1 May 14: " ... The recommendation was blasted by Labor’s shadow Indigenous affairs minister Shayne Neumann who told Guardian Australia he worried this voucher program could mean a move towards an "American-style" outsourcing education service for Indigenous children and moving them away from their communities. Neumann said the recommendation to consolidate programs contained "no evidence and no specificity" on how to deem a program successful or not. "You can’t cut your way to closing the gap," Neumann said. ... " Oliver Laughland, a journalist for Guardian Australia
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