CLP Senator Nigel Scullion and his Canberra colleagues have misled Territorians about their support for the Territorys multicultural organisations and investment in the Territorys population growth.
The Territorys peak multicultural body, Multicultural Council of the Northern Territory (MCNT), is in danger of continuing to deliver their services to Territorians, with the news today of their funding slash of $1 million over four years from the Commonwealth Government.
This means that they have to service the same amount of Territorians but only operating on 33% of their current funding.
The Commonwealth Government yesterday announced the outcomes of the funding round of the Settlement Engagement and Transition Support Program. Most of the Territory-based organisations received funding cuts.
As stated by the Minister for Multicultural Affairs Dale Wakefield
It is completely appalling that the Federal Government continue to treat Territorians as second-rate citizens. Hanging our peak multicultural organisation out to dry with an uncertain future is cruel and needless.
We have a CLP Senator that voted to support a white supremacy slogan, claims that it was an administrative error, and now Scullion and his Canberra colleagues are financially crippling our peak multicultural organisation. This is not an administrative error.
Why wont Scullion stand up for the Territory? And why wont The Opposition Leader Higgins and his Deputy stand up for the Territory instead of supporting more Canberra cuts?
The latest Census data shows that Northern Territory is now more multicultural than Australia as a whole with 30 per cent of our population identifying as having been born overseas. A diverse multicultural community is one of our biggest strengths and an integral part of our identity.
The Territory Labor Government supports our multicultural community, we always have and we always will. The CLP need to stand up for Territorians and stop backing Canberra cuts.
the President of the Multicultural Council of the Northern Territory Kevin Kadirgamar
The MCNT has a long track record of providing essential services to new migrants, which have enabled a large number of our clients to successfully integrate into the Territory community. Without these services, newcomers to the Territory will be significantly limited in their ability to get employment and start contributing to the community. The slashing of these funds places the Territory at significant risk of losing migrants to southern states.
