Antinuclear

Greens call to reinstate Municipal and Essential Services funding for remote Aboriginal communities

Consultation to begin with Aboriginal communities slated for closure in WA, Guardian Calla Wahlquist 17 Mar 15  “………Greens senator Rachel Siewert was due to move a motion on Tuesday calling for the prime minister to apologise for the “insensitive” remark.

Abbott has so far refused to apologise for the comments or concede it was a poor choice of words.

The motion will also call on the federal government to reinstate the Municipal and Essential Services funding, which will run out next year under a deal that gave states responsibility for providing for remote communities, and urge the WA government to abandon plans to close Aboriginal communities.

“Many organisations, including the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, have noted that these remote communities are important to cultural, emotional and social wellbeing and should not be shut down for the sake of short-sighted budgetary measures,” Siewert said.

“We need to be working with communities to deliver essential services and support, not closing and abandoning them.”…..

Dodson, known as “the father of reconciliation”, said on Sunday the avenue for dialogue between Indigenous people and the federal government had closed and urged Abbott to reconsider his approach.

“Does Australia want to have a relationship with Aboriginal people, or does it not?” Dodson said. “Or does it simply want to improve the management and control systems over the lives of Aboriginal people? That’s the seminal issue.”……http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/mar/17/consultation-to-begin-with-aboriginal-communities-slated-for-closure-in-wa

March 25, 2015 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | aboriginal issues, AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics