Linda Burney (Barton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on this motion by the member for Grey in relation to the cashless welfare card. I have to say at the outset that I am quite shocked that government members want to congratulate themselves in the Indigenous affairs space. I hear the member for Grey when he says this is applicable to everyone, but let us not kid ourselves: this is aimed at Aboriginal people. This is not an issue for chest beating and self-congratulations when it comes to this government's record in Indigenous affairs. While the government has made much of some positive initial results, I would like to draw the attention of the House to the fact that the results that we are speaking about today are very early and not the result of any comprehensive analysis or proper evaluation, and I find that unacceptable. In fact, the government has refused to provide any detailed analysis to any stakeholder who has requested it.

I am also sceptical of reports based on assumed correlations and individuals' views. The government must tell us what its evaluation framework is. It has so far refused to do that. The recent Productivity Commission report highlighted that many programs designed to help Aboriginal communities never undergo any proper analysis or evaluation. I am concerned that the government is repeating that mistake here.

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of visiting the Northern Territory to deliver the Menzies School of Health Research oration. I spoke about the need for government to recognise that the solutions to the issues in Aboriginal communities need to be found within them, not imposed on them as this card has been. Advocacy organisations have been defunded, and the voices of the Aboriginal community increasingly are being stifled. Cutting funding to the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples and to vital Aboriginal legal services—

Mr Ramsey interjecting—

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