The Northern Territory Council of Social Service has called on the NT’s four major parties to outline their plans to create remote jobs; implement the Uluru Statement and fund Closing the Gap initiatives this election.
NTCOSS CEO Deborah Di Natale said there are serious inequities facing Aboriginal Australians.
“These issues must be at the heart of this weekend’s elections, particularly in the Northern Territory, where Aboriginal people make up about 30% of the population,” Deborah Di Natale said.
“This election we consulted our membership to identify the top 10 questions for the NT’s major parties and three of those questions were around implementing the Uluru Statement of the Heart; outlining a plan for remote job creation now that CDP was ending and appropriately funding solutions in the most recent Closing the Gap report.”
The Country Liberal Party did not respond to questions from the NT Community Sector, but strong commitment the Liberal Democrats Party (LDP), Australian Labor Party (ALP) and Greens. Here is what they had to say:
- Will your party honour the Uluru Statement of the Heart through the establishment of a First Nations Voice Enshrined in the Constitution in the next term of Parliament?
- The Australian Labor Party: Yes
- The Greens: Treaty and truth telling first.
- The Liberal Democrats Party: Maybe
- The Country Liberal Party: No response provided
See the interviews here: https://fb.watch/d6JcWiY-Tl/
- Now that the Community Development Program is ending, how would your party look to grow jobs in remote Aboriginal communities?
- The Australian Labor Party say they will invest in ranger programs and working with Aboriginal people and peak organisations to create a program to replace CDP.
- The Greens say they will work in partnership with Aboriginal people and the Northern Territory Government to implement a plan from the Aboriginal the Fair Work & Strong Communities to create 12 thousand jobs in remote communities.
- The Liberal Democrats Party says it will develop jobs through agricultural developments focusing on bush foods, creating partnerships with the existing agriculture industry for fruit picking jobs to be filled locally first, and by creating policies where the federal agencies working in remote communities invest in developing local workforces.
- The Country Liberal Party did not respond to Questions from the NT Community Sector.
See the interviews here: https://fb.watch/d6JbzGwbBR/
- Will your party fund recommendations in the most recent Closing the Gap Report, including increasing social housing, exploring climate justice solutions and supporting community-led programs to address violence and crime?
- The Country Liberal Party: No response
- The Liberal Democrats Party: May Fund some elements, but don’t believe the Closing the Gap report is comprehensive, when it comes to addressing the problems seen in the NT.
- The Australian Labor Party: Yes
- The Greens: Yes
See the interviews here: https://fb.watch/d6J8xaRxjz/
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