Minister for Indigenous Australians
Subjects: Remote Australia Employment Service (RAES)
ADAM STEER, HOST: The Mayor of the Roper Gulf Regional Council says the program that's designed to fund creating more employment for Indigenous people in remote communities, because that's getting pulled, they're going to have to sack people who live on the community. Senator Malarndirri McCarthy is the Federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs. What is going on Senator?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY, MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: Good morning, Adam and good morning to your listeners. This is a major program, as you said in your intro. We've committed over $2.6 billion across five years, Adam, to deliver in two stages to reform the Community Development Program, which was a program that simply didn't work. So, this is a major, major policy area. There have been nearly 200 applications for 60 regions where this funding is rolling out. There will be some people who are very happy and there will be some people who are clearly not happy. But I can say this, that in terms of the decisions made by the National Indigenous Australians Agency to not grant the program in respective areas, it's not because they're not Aboriginal enough. In fact, there are many local councils in the Northern Territory who are recipients of this, including Roper Gulf.
ADAM STEER: I've got the letter from the NIAA in my hands. It says, including the tier two status under the Closing the Gap's grant priorities and framework were considerations in the assessment process. The Council says NIAA have told them they are not Aboriginal enough to participate and run the program. How has the agency come to that conclusion?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Under the guidelines, the process, so, organisations with 51% or more Indigenous ownership are considered in tier one and organisations with at least 50% Indigenous ownership, control or management are included in tier two. So, those two tiers already identify Aboriginality. So, I'm not quite sure why they think that they can't receive it. As I said, you had the Mayor Tony Jack on yesterday. He represents the Roper Gulf region. They have been successful in receiving grant funding.
ADAM STEER: They have been successful in receiving grant funding? They will be receiving the grants for the new CDP, is that what you're suggesting?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Under the RAES, the Remote Australia Employment Service, Mayor Jack and his council are receiving RAES and this will be publicly notified once we roll out the lists of those organisations across the Northern Territory. And there are many regional councils who are also successful.
ADAM STEER: Well, that's interesting because I'm holding the letter to say, in a highly competitive region, this limited scope impacted the overall competitiveness of your proposal, unfortunately, the NIAA were unable to disclose the successful applicants. Once this occurs, the NIAA would further welcome discussions on how your organisation can work with a successful provider. That does not suggest that they have won that. That is for the Arnhem Land Groote Eylandt region.
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Yes. That's not Roper Gulf, though, Adam.
ADAM STEER: That's East Arnhem Council. Yes. I'm sorry, I have got the East Arnhem Council one there.
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: That's correct. That's not Roper Gulf.
ADAM STEER: Yeah. So, they. So, East Arnhem Council are not successful?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Well, my understanding is that they are not successful. But that's not because of any Aboriginality. That would be because there would have been other tenderers who are far more successful. And the National Indigenous Australians Agency knows that over the near 200 applicants, only 60 can be successful Adam. And there will be some people who are happy and there will be some people who are not.
ADAM STEER: The councils say they hold many of the leases for buildings and houses needed to run the jobs programs in these communities. What will you do if they withhold their use by other organisations in light of being rejected?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Well, I think it's unfortunate that you'd use a threat of withdrawing leasing to those who are successful. If we go to why this is rolling out, this is about employing First Nations people in our communities across the region so that they have jobs with dignity, that they have long service leave, superannuation and all of those conditions. If you're unsuccessful, please don't stop those who are successful in providing these jobs to First Nations families. I think that threatening that is the height of absolute, it's horrible. Why would you stop people? Why would you stop people simply because you are unsuccessful in this instance? There are many other opportunities, we've got NTRAI which we've got to roll out another $800 million for the regions. This is entirely not the way I'd expect councils or anyone who is unsuccessful to be working with the government.
ADAM STEER. So, have you explained to those councils that are unsuccessful about why they're unsuccessful and secondly, what type of funds are being poured into this if you are bringing in outside agencies to run programs within those remote areas, rather than getting the remote councils themselves to run it. Surely that's the aim of the game in the end?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Well, that's not correct either. In terms of East Arnhem, it's not an outside organisation coming in. So, I think once we're able to release the full program, you will see that I think the behaviour that's going on at the moment is most unhelpful, and I think it causes concern, especially for those who have been successful, to be threatened in such a way. And I caution East Arnhem Regional Council to be very careful to not threaten those who have been successful.
ADAM STEER: All right, so you're. So, even though they have not, they've said we're unable to disclose the successful applicants at this stage. What you're suggesting is they might be local applicants?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Absolutely. They are.
ADAM STEER: Ok, so have the councils jumped the gun, then, here?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Well, I think it's been quite unhelpful in the approach by East Arnhem Regional Council. I certainly know that they've been made aware that they're unsuccessful, but they do have other funding that is available, like all councils in the Northern Territory, and I do think they have jumped the gun on this one, Adam.
ADAM STEER: Senator, good to hear from you as always. Thankyou, appreciate your time.
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Thank you Adam.
