Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

With respect to an earlier question from Senator Payne, I wish to provide the following additional information. The reformed Indigenous Employment Program is on track to commence from 1 July 2009. The Indigenous Employment Program offers project based funding to support employers, individuals and Indigenous businesses to train and recruit Indigenous Australians and to support Indigenous economic development. It is wrong to characterise the Indigenous Employment Program as somehow coming to a stop on 30 June 2009. There are more than 900 existing projects that will continue beyond 30 June 2009. What the government is currently doing is reforming the program to overcome the rigidities and complexities that we inherited.