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NAIDOC funding safe under Scullion
by Stephen Hagan
A senior spokesperson for Senator Nigel Scullion told First Nations Telegraph that NAIDOC was a “positive, upbeat and constructive” programme that will not be cut under an Abbott administration if they win office after the 14 September elections. When asked if Senator Scullion would be the Minister to honour that promise his senior spokesperson responded with an emphatic “yes”. “In fact Nigel was the first acting Minister assured of moving straight into the job he is the shadow spokesperson for at present,” the senior spokesperson said in reference to a public announcement by Opposition leader Tony Abbott at a recent forum. “There are many Shadow Ministers who will definately move straight into the portfolio their government counterparts hold, but in Nigels case he was the first to be
publicly annointed by his leader to do so.” Anything is possible in an election, but one would have to be a diehard Labor supporter to not see that change at Captial Hill is imminent. After the failed coup in which Kevin Rudd was a no-show the polls had Labor trailing the Coalition by 20 percentage points at 30 to 50. Even back then PM Julia Gillard said she did not need a poll to tell her Labor would be punished after the botched leadership coup. “I don’t need a poll, I don’t think any political observer, indeed, any community member, would need a poll to say that people looked at the conduct of the Labor Party and were just shaking their heads.’’ Not a lot has changed in the polls in the weeks following the failed coup and it’s become common knowledge that all peak Indigenous bodies are secretly and openly lobbying Abbott, Scullion and their
National NAIDOC 2012 Committee
team to keep their budget after the election or at least minimise planned savage cuts. Those Indigenous leaders holding on to hope of the status quo of Labor at the helm and refusing to lobby the opposition party now are doing a disservice to the people they are paid to represent. With comments from Senator Scullion’s senior spokesman of “fabulous” and “good value” of NAIDOC the national committee can look forward to promoting our wonderful culture for many years to come. This coming weekend the national committe will meet in Canberra to pick the award winners. NAIDOC Ball tickets are released midday today (Monday 13 May) for the public for $85 each or $800 for a table of ten. The Ball will be held at the Exhibition and Convention Centre, Perth on Friday 12 July 2013.
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