The Australian Greens today welcomed the commitment by the Minister for Indigenous Affairs Jenny Macklin to reform the CDEP program, saying it offers an opportunity to fix outstanding problems with the program and build on its successes.
"What is needed is a much stronger emphasis on skills and training to address the significant gap between the low levels of education and work experience of many Aboriginal people in remote areas and the demands of the workplace," said Senator Rachel Siewert today.
"Claims that CDEP has been sit down money and the re-introduction of the scheme will lead to increases in alcohol and substance abuse do not match up with the evidence," she said.
"Studies of the program have found that a high proportion of CDEP participants work much more than the funded 15 hours per week, are much less likely to drink or be arrested, and have higher rates of participation in community and cultural activities than the unemployed," said Senator Siewert.
"There are higher rates of full-time employment in communities that have CDEP schemes and participants are more likely to move into paid employment."
"The more recent focus on CDEP as a labour market program has overlooked the important community development role the program has played in the past in developing community infrastructure and delivering community services," she said.
"Unfortunately CDEP has allowed federal, territory and local governments to get away with a lot of cost shifting and substitution funding, where they have been able to under-invest in delivering citizenship entitlements and essential services by exploiting cheap CDEP labour," said Senator Siewert.
"If we want CDEP positions to work as a transition between unemployment and the workplace we need to both ensure that they are delivering the skills and training aspirant workers need to meet local employment opportunities ... and also make sure that limited CDEP positions are going to those who are most determined to work."
"The community ranger programs have been a good example of CDEP success stories. We need to focus more effort and resources into areas where Aboriginal people have a competitive advantage in the labour market and can develop successful occupational niches - such as natural resource management, arts and tourism."
"Today we heard how Indigenous fire management could halve the of Northern Territory's carbon footprint within four years. An expanded fire management program could deliver employment opportunities and help us meet our greenhouse gas reduction targets in a simple and cost effective manner," concluded Senator Siewert.
For more information or comment call Chris Twomey on 0407 725 025