www.firstnationstelegraph.com
Call to our Prime Minister for a ‘fair go’! supplied by NATSIWA 21 December 2013
N
ATSIWA urges our Prime Minister Tony Abbott to reconsider funding for vital Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander legal services and give our women and their families in need, a ‘fair go’ when accessing these vital services, especially at times when they are faced with extreme adversity. Ms Dea DelaneyThiele (pictured), Chairperson of NATSIWA said, “according to the Productivity Commission’s ‘2012 Indigenous Expenditure Report’ we are aware that Australian government/s spend $25.4 billion on the affairs of ‘Indigenous Australians’ and $5.5 billion is provided through targeted ‘Indigenous’ specific services”. “Economic rationialism is a good measure, however, at what expense, cutting funds to vital legal services that our women and their children rely on saddens us greatly”, said Dea. “Cutting funds to service delivery is not the
answer, the cost efficiency lens should focus on the bureacracy where the $20 billion is spent, especially at the higest level, where these Bureacrats wield a lot of power, and of course, decisionmaking”, said Dea. NATSIWA therefore calls on our PM Tony Abbott to take the lead
through COAG and put a spot light on the $20 billion spent in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Affairs, to ensure more accountability and tranpsarency not just to our Communities, but to all Australians”, Dea added. “Until we are afforded full participation and
OUR solutions are respected, acknowledged and implemented, our health, wellbeing and economic disadvantage for our Women and their families will remain a stain on our lucky Country”, Dea said. NATSIWA urges our Sister Alliances to support us in our call to our PM.
Page 1