THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE ARTS
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
THE HON SHAYNE NEUMANN MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS
SHADOW MINISTER FOR AGEING
MEMBER FOR BLAIR
MEDIA RELEASE
GOVERNMENT CUTS $43 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR INDIGENOUS LEGAL ASSISTANCE
The Abbott Government has today confirmed their plan to cut $43 million of funding out of Indigenous Legal Aid.
Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus QC said the cuts to legal assistance for Indigenous Australians were a slap in the face for Indigenous communities.
"Mr Abbott has said he wants to be a Prime Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, but he is taking crucial funds out of Indigenous legal assistance when they are most needed," Mr Dreyfus said.
"Just last week the Social Justice and Native Title Report was tabled in Parliament, having been delivered to Senator Brandis in November by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Mick Gooda.
"Since 1993 Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander children have gone from being 17 times more likely to be in detention, to 25 times more likely to be incarcerated than non-Indigenous children.
"Indigenous adults have increased from 14 times more likely to be in prison, to more than 18 times more likely over the same time period.
"Now is simply not the time for the Government to be cutting legal assistance to Indigenous Australians," Mr Dreyfus said.
Shadow Indigenous Affairs Minister Shayne Neumann said the Abbott Government is not committed to Closing the Gap on Indigenous justice.
"Before the election Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion said the Coalition was committed to Labor's justice and community safety targets as part of the Closing the Gap package (Nigel Scullion media release, 9/8/13)," Mr Neumann said.
"Slashing funding to Indigenous Legal Services will see an increase in Indigenous juvenile detention rates, and demonstrates that the Abbott Government cannot be trusted to make good on election promises.
"Research from the Australian Health and Welfare Institute shows that while youth detention rates in Australia have remained stable, the rate of Indigenous juvenile detention had increased over the past four years, making up 51 per cent of all young people in detention on a given night (Youth detention population in Australia 2013; AIHW, December 2013).
"Indigenous justice is not the area Mr Abbott should be slashing to make up for his overspend in areas such as the Paid Parental Leave for wealthy families. He has slashed $43 million without considering the social cost down the track.
"This is not the Government Indigenous Australians were promised before the election," Mr Neumann said.
TUESDAY, 17 DECEMBER 2013
