Comments on: A nation building and jobs plan for indigenous Australia http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/02/12/a-nation-building-and-jobs-plan-for-indigenous-australia/ now with extra source Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:07:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Caroline Armstrong http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/02/12/a-nation-building-and-jobs-plan-for-indigenous-australia/#comment-10398 Caroline Armstrong Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-10398 kayt, good to hear that CDEP income is free from the quarantining. I guess my question is why these worker's especially those who are teaching, involved in health service delivery or infrastructure projects aren't considered to be government workers themselves, employed by the relevant department rather than being administered in the manner you describe.<br />Do you know which part of the budget funds for CDEP come from? kayt, good to hear that CDEP income is free from the quarantining. I guess my question is why these worker’s especially those who are teaching, involved in health service delivery or infrastructure projects aren’t considered to be government workers themselves, employed by the relevant department rather than being administered in the manner you describe.
Do you know which part of the budget funds for CDEP come from?

]]> By: kayt http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/02/12/a-nation-building-and-jobs-plan-for-indigenous-australia/#comment-10399 kayt Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-10399 Caroline, CDEP jobs are jobs that's why the money earned for doing them can't be "quarantined" and paid in the form of vouchers. Cynical people might suggest that this is why the government wants to do away with them.<br /><br />That said, CDEP jobs are administered by a government office tand government workers should be check ing on whether CDEP projects are satisfactorily completed. Sadly the extreme distances between remote settlements sometimes makes a mockery of these checks and balances given the time and staff resources available. CDEP programs also often include training and other valuable elements. They deserve more support not less.<br /><br />Professor Altman, thankyou! This is a good point well stated. Caroline, CDEP jobs are jobs that’s why the money earned for doing them can’t be “quarantined” and paid in the form of vouchers. Cynical people might suggest that this is why the government wants to do away with them.

That said, CDEP jobs are administered by a government office tand government workers should be check ing on whether CDEP projects are satisfactorily completed. Sadly the extreme distances between remote settlements sometimes makes a mockery of these checks and balances given the time and staff resources available. CDEP programs also often include training and other valuable elements. They deserve more support not less.

Professor Altman, thankyou! This is a good point well stated.

]]> By: Caroline Armstrong http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/02/12/a-nation-building-and-jobs-plan-for-indigenous-australia/#comment-10400 Caroline Armstrong Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-10400 I am confused about why - if there are teaching, construction, health and jobs being undertaken by people in indigenious communities - these jobs are classified as CDEP or work for the dole? Why aren't these people classified as working, that is working for a wage, one that should be comparable to an 'outsider' being flown in to do the job? I have never been able to get an answer from the Minister for Health but maybe Crikey can. I am unaware of any teaching assistant or health worker in Victoria who would undertake such crucial work and still be seen as a welfare receipent rather than a wage earner. I am confused about why - if there are teaching, construction, health and jobs being undertaken by people in indigenious communities - these jobs are classified as CDEP or work for the dole? Why aren’t these people classified as working, that is working for a wage, one that should be comparable to an ‘outsider’ being flown in to do the job? I have never been able to get an answer from the Minister for Health but maybe Crikey can. I am unaware of any teaching assistant or health worker in Victoria who would undertake such crucial work and still be seen as a welfare receipent rather than a wage earner.

]]> By: chris http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/02/12/a-nation-building-and-jobs-plan-for-indigenous-australia/#comment-10401 chris Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-10401 Great stuff Jon<br /><br />Just for the record the Greens Senator Rachel Siewert backed this idea of saving and revamping CDEP during the Senate debate on the stimulus package...<br /><br />Here's the link...<br /><br />http://rachel-siewert.greensmps.org.au/content/speech/economic-stimulus-package Great stuff Jon

Just for the record the Greens Senator Rachel Siewert backed this idea of saving and revamping CDEP during the Senate debate on the stimulus package…

Here’s the link…

http://rachel-siewert.greensmps.org.au/content/speech/economic-stimulus-package

]]> By: Tess Lea http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/02/12/a-nation-building-and-jobs-plan-for-indigenous-australia/#comment-10402 Tess Lea Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-10402 Agree the ambitious claims of last year now seem highly dubious. Professor Altman's arguments are sound and should be heeded. At the same time, it is more important than every, at a time when emergency packages are being dreamt into being overnight, that a coherent development agenda for the AUstralian community as a whole, with regional and remote AUstralia as part of the picture, is developed with foregroudns Indigenous concerns and rights at the heart. The entire country is in need of vision. Dolalrs for more flat screen tv's and the TAB, more bricks and mortar, and no vision, seems a bit hit and miss to me. Agree the ambitious claims of last year now seem highly dubious. Professor Altman’s arguments are sound and should be heeded. At the same time, it is more important than every, at a time when emergency packages are being dreamt into being overnight, that a coherent development agenda for the AUstralian community as a whole, with regional and remote AUstralia as part of the picture, is developed with foregroudns Indigenous concerns and rights at the heart. The entire country is in need of vision. Dolalrs for more flat screen tv’s and the TAB, more bricks and mortar, and no vision, seems a bit hit and miss to me.

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