Closing the gap: $82,000 payments to Stolen Generations
The Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced a $1 billion package to support Closing the Gap outcomes to assist Indigenous Australians.
Morrison said with the release of the plan, the Government was turning the commitments made under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap into practical action.
“This is a plan that’s been led together with Indigenous leaders, to back Indigenous communities,” Morrison said.
“When we overhauled the Closing the Gap program we set four priority reforms to fundamentally change how governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people work together. This Implementation Plan details how governments will do our part to achieve those reforms.
Under the reforms there are six key spending measures:
$378.8 million for a Stolen Generations redress scheme for the Northern Territory, ACT and Jervis Bay Territory
$254.4 million for Aboriginal-controlled community health organisations
$160 million to support Indigenous children through a healthy mums and bubs program and an early childhood education package
$75 million to improve high school education options in remote communities
$66 million for alcohol and drug treatment services
$22 million to help preserve Indigenous languages
The Prime Minister said it highlights the real and practical actions to be taken by all areas of government.
“We’ve listened together and are taking action together,” he said.
“We’re doing things differently with accountability and transparency, and in true partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders.”
Money for the Stolen Generations
Stolen Generations survivors will receive around $82,000 each under the new redress scheme to “make good on the harm caused to Stolen Generations survivors” the Prime Minister said.
“This plan is about real reconciliation, how we get there, and making sure all governments are held to account, state and federal,” Morrison said.
Under the scheme, eligible applicants will receive a one-off payment of $75,000 in recognition of the harm caused by forced removal and a further $7,000 to facilitate healing.
Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt said the new redress scheme is critical to continue the nation’s reconciliation journey and will support healing.
“The scheme, for living survivors who were removed as children from their families in then-Commonwealth territories, includes a one-off payment in recognition of the harm caused by forced removal and gives each survivor the opportunity, should they wish, to tell their story and receive an individual apology,” Wyatt said.
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Focus on health and education
Wyatt said the plan also includes measures which evidence suggests will have the greatest impact over the long term, including early childhood, health, education and family support.
$254.4 million will go towards infrastructure to better support Aboriginal Community Controlled Health organisations.
A further $160 million will be spent to support young children and mothers through further community childcare and early learning facilities.
Minister Wyatt said the Implementation Plan and associated investments showed the Commonwealth was serious about delivering on the National Agreement.
“This first Commonwealth Implementation Plan sets a foundation for our efforts in achieving the targets in the National Agreement over the coming decade,” Wyatt said.
“We will report on our progress each year, and the plan will be updated at the same time in partnership and based on evidence and data. This will keep us accountable and ensure we are aligned with the priorities of the people it affects most.
The nation’s “ultimate test”
Morrison admitted that previous Government initiatives to close the gap have not been successful or have not gone far enough.
“With the implementation plan I tabled today we are making good on our commitment to do things differently, on a path that requires deep listening,” Morrison said.
“[A path] that requires learning, accountability, transparency, and a genuine partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders - a partnership that is generations overdue, built on mutual respect, dignity, and above all, trust.”
Morrison said each state and territory will be responsible to implement the plan and a Commonwealth report will be prepared every year, around this same time, to update on progress.
He said this was a “significant departure” from what the Government has implemented before and will ensure accountability at all levels of government.
The first of those reports was released last week with the Prime Minister admitting that on life expectancy and incarceration rates, including youth incarceration, the numbers are not where they should be.
He said the nation will work together to Close the Gap to ensure that all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will have equal opportunities to every other Australian.
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