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

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Senator Abetz. My question follows on from one I asked the minister last week regarding the impact on some Aboriginal communities in Far North Queensland of the government’s changes to the Community Development Employment Project and the way they are being implemented. In the minister’s answer last week he stated that, with CDEP funding, the government is concerned about the individual outcomes for individual participants. Does this mean that the government is not giving any consideration to the impacts and outcomes for the community? If so, does this mean that the community development component of the CDEP no longer applies? The minister also said that the competitive tender process was done on the basis of the normal sorts of qualities that are looked for: issues of governance, financial capacity and viability. Does this mean that those bodies that lost funding were assessed as not meeting those standards of governance, financial capacity and viability?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Bartlett for the question. I said on the last occasion that the government is concerned about prioritising the needs of the individual. That does not mean that we do not take anything else into account, but our priority is for outcomes for individual members of the Indigenous communities as opposed to the more corporate outcome for particular organisations. I indicate to Senator Bartlett that the current reforms to the CDEP include a greater focus on helping Indigenous Australians use CDEP as a stepping stone to employment. The reforms will help to address the concerns raised through consultations and by Indigenous leaders, many of whom have called for further CDEP reform. If I recall correctly, on the last occasion I had a quote from a former distinguished Democrat senator, Aden Ridgeway, to help make that point. The reforms put a stronger focus on employment and employability skills and form part of the government’s broader strategy to help Indigenous Australians to achieve true economic independence. In recent times we have increased the numbers of CDEP places available, and I am advised that Mr Andrews’s department will continue to work closely with Indigenous communities and CDEP organisations to help them to adjust to the reforms.

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

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I thank the minister for the answer. Is the minister able to confirm that, more than six weeks after being awarded the new CDEP contract for the Mapoon community on Cape York, the new provider did not have a continuing presence in the community and that CDEP workers were still receiving sit-down money? Is the same standard going to be applied for the awarding of future CDEP contracts in the region or, to ensure that there are more effective transition procedures in place, is the government going to agree to consult further with those other communities in the region—not just the service providers but the communities—that will have these contracts up for renewal at the end of this year?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a specific brief in relation to Cape York, but I do not have one in relation to the particular program or corporation to which the senator refers. I will take that part of the question on notice and see if Minister Andrews can provide him with the details sought.