Andrew Bartlett (Queensland, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, and relates to a matter causing serious concern to Aboriginal communities throughout Far North Queensland. I draw the minister’s attention to a recent report in the Cairns Post quoting the CEO of Hope Vale Aboriginal community calling for a crisis meeting between all of the councils on Cape York and the federal Department of Employment and Workplace Relations over what he described as ‘profound problems with the changes made to the Community Development Employment Project that have created a nightmare for the cape’s Aboriginal communities.’ Is the minister aware of similar criticisms by the CEO of Lockhart River Aboriginal community, and the councillor at Meppoon community on the west of the cape, that the CDEP changes have undone years of work building up a ‘no work, no pay’ ethic in the community and that the government’s changes have resulted in sit-down money being paid in the community for the first time in years? What is the government’s response to these concerns? What action has the government taken to meet with Aboriginal people at the community level to work through the problems being caused by the CDEP changes to ensure they do not negatively impact on the economies and communities of Cape York?