Ceduna Employment

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (15:07): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs regarding employment levels in Ceduna.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD: The previous federal government's Community Development Program was described by the Albanese Labor government as 'punitive', and they also said that it 'caused real harm to communities across the north'. This runs contrary to Wayne Miller's view. Who is Wayne Miller? Wayne Miller is the CEO of the Ceduna Aboriginal Corporation and he told the ABC North and West SA yesterday that the scrapping of mutual obligations and voluntary participation in the Work for the Dole scheme in 2022 has had devastating effects throughout those communities.

That program attracted some 40,000 Indigenous Australian participants and incentivised people to return to their home communities and provided meaningful, dignified work. In Tuesday's federal budget a replacement program was presented offering just 3,000 places across the country—less than the 40,000, obviously. It is time-limited to just 12 months, and provides no incentive for people to return to their communities, or any other incentives. My questions to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs are:

1. Does the minister agree with Wayne Miller that abolition of the Community Development Program has had significant detrimental effects on the communities in the north of the state, as the CEO of the Ceduna Aboriginal Corporation stated?

2. Does the minister think that the federal Labor government's replacement employment program, offering just 3,000 such opportunities shared across all states and territories, is sufficient in addressing Ceduna's growing problems and, in particular, insufficient employment opportunities for the local Indigenous population?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:09): I thank the honourable member for his question. Certainly, I have had the benefit, earlier this year and over many years, of discussing, in and around Ceduna and also in Adelaide, issues of concern to the West Coast Aboriginal community with Wayne Miller and other Aboriginal leaders.

The CDP program that the honourable member refers to was a replacement for what was known as CDEP, which existed during ATSIC's time and was abolished probably around 2003 or 2004. I think that, almost universally, Aboriginal leaders would like to see a return to what was known as CDEP before the CDP was introduced. CDEP certainly provided very great opportunities in many areas for Aboriginal people around Australia. Burrandies in Mount Gambier ran CDEP programs 20-plus years ago that provided a lot of opportunity, not just for employment but for skills. It was a real employment program that provided employment benefits that today would be things like leave and superannuation.

As I said, I think that, almost universally, Aboriginal leaders would like to see a return to something more akin to CDEP than to CDP. Having spent time with federal ministers for Aboriginal affairs over the last couple of decades, I know that Liberal federal government ministers have talked to me about their desire to see a return from CDP to a CDEP-type program.

I think the federal program that the honourable member refers to is now termed the Remote Jobs and Economic Development Program, which seems much more akin to what was the old CDEP than to the CDP. The CDP does provide some benefits, but I think there are punitive measures that see Aboriginal people cut off very regularly and which have been problematic, particularly in very remote Aboriginal communities.

I think when the Remote Jobs and Economic Development Program was announced it was funded initially with just over $700 million. My understanding is, and I will double-check it, that it is closer to $800 million now, as a result of the federal budget that was handed down this week. Certainly, I know that community leaders, particularly in areas like the West Coast of South Australia and the APY lands in the far north-west of South Australia, have had discussions with the federal government and the federal minister about a desire to be involved in the new rollout of what is much more akin to the old CDEP program than to the CDP program.