2016-05-20
Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert has congratulated National Congress co-chair Jackie Huggins for highlighting failing Government policies on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues.
“Jackie Huggins is one of the countries champions for reducing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples disadvantage and she is right in pointing to Australia's failures to Close the Gap.
“The Stronger Futures policy – a rebadge of the Northern Territory Intervention by the ALP – has failed in its objectives and should be abandoned. Income management is a failed approach and it is sad to see the Government continuing to pursue it with the cashless welfare card.
“We must reduce high incarceration rates, and stop paternalistic approaches that do more harm than good. It is shameful that the Government missed the opportunity in the most recent budget to reverse the terrible cuts that Tony Abbott made on spending on Aboriginal programs.
"Australia has a long way to go before we Close the Gap and at the rate we are going we will not reach the goal of 2030”.