Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to draw the House's attention the devastating cuts to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health programs in the government's forward estimates, with no explanation of where the cuts will fall. In the coalition's first budget Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander's health systems take savage blows. Programs that try to promote healthy lifestyle and tackle smoking and alcohol addiction in Indigenous communities will be on the chopping block, which would cause not just the programs to disappear but their employees as well. This comes just months after Prime Minister Tony Abbott said in his Closing the Gap speech that it is:

… our duty is to make the most of this precious moment … a fair go for Aboriginal people is far too important to be put off … we need to provide it now.

So I put it to the Prime Minister: how can you cut $125 million dollars while there has been no progress in closing the gap in life expectancy between Aboriginal and other Australians? Indigenous employment has actually gone backwards. Prime Minister, it is foolish to think that you can do this and expect the lives of Aboriginal families in remote communities to improve. Your actions are attacking our most vulnerable in society with no compassion whatsoever. I urge the Prime Minister to please re-think this course of cruel cuts not just for the Indigenous community but for the whole of Australia.

I would like to congratulate Dominic Hale from Wesley College, who is doing work experience in my office this week, who put together these insightful words.

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