(3) The Commonwealth Government is as responsible as the Territory Government for this state of affairs. The current GST formula, at best, tries to maintain the status quo. The status quo is not good enough. The formula must tackle and address the disadvantage, not maintain it. The Commonwealth should not be able to continue to avoid its obligations to the disadvantaged regions. Territory’s (4) The Commonwealth formulas that go to local government funding are scandalous as we point out clearly in our submission. (5) We are plagued by public servants who mostly live in Darwin and we are forever strangled by red tape. Our submission points out that more money just seems to mean more public servants. (6) It seems more and more people in the south are identifying as These people usually live in “Aboriginal”. urban or semi-urban areas, yet they are treated the same in the terms of the formula as Aboriginal people who live in remote areas. This is a serious disparity that needs to be addressed. My colleagues here to my right will touch on this briefly. Commissioners, the Northern Territory is different and these issues are not going away. Indigenous matters are front and centre for we Territorians. We urge you to make recommendations that address the issues that we have identified, and not just make a scapegoat of the Northern Territory. The NT has great need and to address that need, we require a new manner of doing business that sends government funds direct to the point of need and addresses the issue of the disempowerment of Aboriginal people. On my last point, I take this opportunity to recommend a model based on the work of Empowered Communities, and I table a copy of that report for you here now. MS CHESTER: Thank you. MS BOWDEN: And with me are two important advisors to the Yothu Yindi Foundation. Barry Hansen here, is a former chairman of the Northern Territory Council of Social Services, and Bob Beadman a former chairman of the Northern Territory Grants going to speak for Commission. They’re a small amount of time and then, perhaps, we might take some questions. Thank you. MS CHESTER: Thank you. MR HANSEN: Thanks, Denise. Commissioners, Denise has mentioned and Yananymul has mentioned Now to put some “underspending”. numbers to it, and go back to it might seem like going back a I’ll – I’m number of years, but going back to 2006/7 to show a pattern of working I’m
(3) The Commonwealth Government is as responsible as the Territory Government for this state of affairs. The current GST formula, at best, tries to maintain the status quo. The status quo is not good enough. The formula must tackle and address the disadvantage, not maintain it. The Commonwealth should not be able to continue to avoid its obligations to the Territory’s disadvantaged regions. (4) The Commonwealth formulas that go to local government funding are scandalous as we point out clearly in our submission. (5) We are plagued by public servants who mostly live in Darwin and we are forever strangled by red tape. Our submission points out that more money just seems to mean more public servants. (6) It seems more and more people in the south are identifying as “Aboriginal”. These people usually live in urban or semi-urban areas, yet they are treated the same in the terms of the formula as Aboriginal people who live in remote areas. This is a serious disparity that needs to be addressed. My colleagues here to my right will touch on this briefly. Commissioners, the Northern Territory is different and these issues are not going away. Indigenous matters are front and centre for we Territorians. We urge you to make recommendations that address the issues that we have identified, and not just make a scapegoat of the Northern Territory. The NT has great need and to address that need, we require a new manner of doing business that sends government funds direct to the point of need and addresses the issue of the disempowerment of Aboriginal people. On my last point, I take this opportunity to recommend a model based on the work of Empowered Communities, and I table a copy of that report for you here now. MS CHESTER: Thank you. MS BOWDEN: And with me are two important advisors to the Yothu Yindi Foundation. Barry Hansen here, is a former chairman of the Northern Territory Council of Social Services, and Bob Beadman a former chairman of the Northern Territory Grants Commission. They’re going to speak for a small amount of time and then, perhaps, we might take some questions. Thank you. MS CHESTER: Thank you. MR HANSEN: Thanks, Denise. Commissioners, Denise has mentioned and Yananymul has mentioned “underspending”. Now to put some numbers to it, and I’ll go back to – it might seem like I’m going back a number of years, but I’m going back to 2006/7 to show a pattern of working
28112017-darwin-hearing-transcript.docx