-----Original Message----- From: Webcentral <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Friday, May 12, 2000 2:45 PM Subject: [atsic] Media Release: Budget for New Millennium leaves Indigenous Australia in last century >12 May 2000 > > Budget for New Millennium leaves Indigenous Australia in last century > >A combined meeting of ATSIC Commissioners and Regional Council Chairpersons >from around Queensland says this week's Federal budget, while billed as the >"budget for the new millennium" has left indigenous Australians behind in >the last century. > >The ATSIC leaders say the budget fails the Federal Government's own pledge >to achieve "practical" reconciliation. > >The Howard Government has failed to make any significant inroads into >reducing indigenous disadvantage. > >There is precious little in this budget to meet the desperate need in >indigenous housing, employment, education and health. > >Once again, Australians, like indigenous people will see no real progress >for another year. > >We call on the Prime Minister to begin work with us immediately to ensure >next year's Federal Budget delivers a substantial down payment on >"practical" reconciliation. > >We also call for government ministers and their departments to quantify what >benefits and programs will flow to indigenous Australians out of the $1.8b >package for rural and regional Australia. > >The ATSIC leaders said the so-called "four pillars" of the government's >indigenous affairs policy -health, housing, employment and education - >remain empty when measured against our entrenched and massive indigenous >disadvantage. > >ATSIC had put forward a number of proposals to Government which would, if >adopted, have demonstrated a clear commitment to "practical" reconciliation. > >We had sought substantial new funding for community housing and >infrastructure in our communities to address the massive deficit, which >still remains and was clearly identified in a recent ATSIC-commissioned >national survey. > >However, the additional 1,500 places to the existing 33,000 or so in >ATSIC's Community Development Employment Projects scheme (CDEP) is welcome >even though it is far less than what is needed. > >This initiative also means the Prime Minister has delivered on an >undertaking to the ATSIC Board that these new places would be approved in >the Budget. We commend him for that. > >However, the 1500 places fall far short of indigenous people's demand for >new places. >Even with the extra places, demand from our people to work clearly outstrips >the number available on CDEP. > >We also remind the government that despite the outstanding success of CDEP >over 20 years, it is a voluntary work scheme that substitutes for the dole. > >In the eyes of indigenous Australians, as with other Australians, working >for the dole is no substitute for the creation of permanent full time >employment. > >Nor are there any desperately needed new funds to support the organisations >which deliver the scheme, to create more accredited training and assistance >for CDEP participants moving to mainstream employment. > >The ATSIC leaders say they remain committed to working with the Howard >Government to advance "practical" reconciliation. > >Media Contact: >ATSIC Commissioner Ray Robinson: mobile 0417 767 067 > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------ RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/ To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the body of the message, include the words: unsubscribe announce or click here mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." RecOzNet2 is archived for members @ http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznet2%40paradigm4.com.au/
