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Labor's Wayne Swan delivers a press conference before announcing the Federal Budget on Tuesday night. (Image: Munro) |
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Falling short: Indigenous budget spending
Issue 152 - 02 May 2008
CANBERRA, May 14, 208: The federal government has been forced to defend its budget spending on Aboriginal affairs following criticism for not doing enough to close the life expectancy gap.
The Rudd government has committed a total of $1.2 billion over five years for a range of measures aimed at closing, within a generation, the 17-year gap in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.
Australian Greens senator Rachel Siewert said that was inadequate.
"I'm dismayed that despite the rhetoric from the government on closing the gap, the commitment of funds in this budget simply won't do it," she said.
"We are not seeing a strategic, coordinated approach at all - this is nothing more than piecemeal programs which fail to address the key underlining causes."
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma said the funding promised fell far short of what was needed to improve Indigenous primary health care services around the country.
"The budget Indigenous health initiatives are welcome indeed but more is needed to ensure an Indigenous baby born in 2030 has the same life expectation, the same access to quality health services and the same life outcomes as non-Indigenous Australians," he said.
The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) said funding would have to be "ramped up dramatically" to achieve the government's goals.
"NACCHO has welcomed the government's ongoing commitment to Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services, but a major injection of funds is needed to bring the sector to a level that would, for the first time, match the level of need in the Aboriginal community," NACCHO chair Mick Adams said.
Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation national director Gary Highland said the budget lacked sufficient funding for indigenous primary health care to achieve the government's goals.
Mr Highland said a significant proportion of the government's new $10 billion health fund should be directed towards Aborigines if the government was serious about closing the gap.
Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC) spokesman Julian Pocock said his organisation was disappointed with the budget, saying some of the government's promises had been watered down.
He said the government appeared too preoccupied with the Northern Territory.
"The vast majority of Aboriginal people do not live in the NT and have the same sorts of health issues and other issues," he said.
 
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