Terri Butler (Griffith, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is a shame that the member for Brisbane asked a question and then left the room before hearing the answer and it is a great shame that the consequence of that was that the minister did not get the chance in his response to answer the member for Barton's questions about suicide amongst Indigenous communities. I repeat and refer to the member for Barton's questions about both suicide and syphilis and ask that the minister address those questions.

I also refer to the Indigenous Advancement Strategy. It is well known to members of this place, and especially well known to Indigenous people, that this government cut $500 million from the Indigenous affairs portfolio in its disastrous 2014 federal budget and established a new grants program called the Indigenous Advancement Strategy. This program was supposed to focus on jobs, land and the economy; children and schooling; safety and wellbeing; culture and capability; and remote Australia strategies. However, its implementation has been an utter disaster that has seen a reduction in frontline services.

In March 2016, a Senate inquiry delivered its final report into the Indigenous Advancement Strategy, making nine recommendations including:

… that future tender rounds are not blanket competitive processes and are underpinned by robust service planning and needs mapping.

…   …   …

… that future tendering processes should be planned strategically, with a clear sense of service gaps and community need based on consultation with local services and communities.

…   …   …

… that future selection criteria and funding guidelines should give weighting to the contribution and effectiveness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations to provide to their community beyond the service they are directly contracted to provide.

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… that where possible and appropriate, longer contracts be awarded to ensure stability so that organisations can plan and deliver sustainable services to their communities.

…   …   …

… that the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet improve its overall Indigenous Advancement Strategy communication plan to ensure that all stakeholders are fully informed and have access to clear and timely information.

…   …   …

… that the full internal review of the Indigenous Advancement Strategy process undertaken and facilitated by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet be made public.

…   …   …

… that the Government release the revised funding guidelines as a draft for consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and their organisations.

…   …   …

… that Government prioritise investment in capacity building and support for smaller community controlled organisations in future tender processes.

…   …   …

… that the Government act immediately to address the 30 June 2016 funding deadline for organisations.

To date, it would appear that the government has done nothing whatsoever to address these recommendations and it would appear that the government has done nothing to improve Indigenous people's access to frontline services. I will give an example. Today, I met with the Katherine Womens Information and Legal Service. They have two sources of funding: the Indigenous Advancement Strategy and the Commonwealth National Partnership Agreement on Legal Assistance Services. Of course, at the same time as the Indigenous Advancement Strategy money runs out, there is a 30 per cent cut to the National Partnership Agreement on Legal Assistance Services. They are facing a funding cliff. There is no certainty for organisations funded under the Indigenous Advancement Strategy. It is a real problem, not just because of the uncertainty for the clients but because of the uncertainty for planning of the services. If you do not know if you are going to have a job after a certain date, of course a workforce issue that arises from that. You might think about looking for other alternatives and you might be concerned about the longevity of your position. You also have a situation where that planning then flows on to the services that people are able to provide.

I ask the assistant minister: what has the government done to improve access to frontline services for Indigenous people and what measures can the assistant minister point to in subsequent budgets after the 2014 budget that achieved this? I ask the assistant minister whether the government is still committed to the Indigenous Advancement Strategy and when any additional rounds of funding will be available through the IAS. Further, and of great importance, I ask the assistant minister what engagement there has been with Indigenous people to ensure that not only are the recommendations of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Public Administration's inquiry implemented but are done in a way that Indigenous communities are consulted on the way frontline organisations are properly resourced to provide the services Indigenous people need.

In summary, there are two questions here for the minister. Firstly, what is being done about Indigenous suicide and syphilis? Secondly, what is being done about the Indigenous Advancement Strategy? I hope that the minister will take the time to answer the questions I have asked.

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