Lies, damned lies, and remote funding statistics

The following media release was issued in Western Australia by the Commonwealth Minister for Indigenous Affairs on 29 June 2018.  As it has not so far been placed on the Ministerial media release web site by the Minister’s Office, I have posted it here. 

The following post provides a critique of the Minister’s actions in issuing this media release.

MEDIA RELEASE

Senator the Hon. Nigel Scullion
Minister for Indigenous Affairs

 Little Wyatt lies on remote Indigenous housing

 Friday, 29 June 2018

Ben Wyatt’s lies on remote Indigenous housing show that the McGowan Labor Government is more interested in playing politics than delivering outcomes for Aboriginal people in Western Australia.

 Ben Wyatt said on radio this week that I have stopped responding to questions from the State Government.

This is not correct. It is wrong. These are more Labor lies.  

 As I have always said, the Commonwealth remains committed to future investment in remote Indigenous housing.

 I have always been the Minister responsible and have had carriage of the remote housing negotiations on behalf of the Commonwealth.

I wrote to Minister Tinley on 24 May with an offer of Commonwealth investment and I welcomed Minister Tinley’s response on 11 June that this offer reflected our positive discussions and that he would take it to Cabinet.

 Negotiations with Minister Tinley were progressing well but unfortunately it seems Ben Wyatt has now got involved.

 A day after Ben Wyatt’s media release I received a new letter signed by Minister Tinley but clearly written by Ben Wyatt that takes a whole new approach – one in which the Western Australian Government is willing to walk away from the Commonwealth’s investment we want to provide to residents of remote communities.

 I have since responded re-stating the Commonwealth’s commitment and asking for proper discussions to commence.

There is no truth in the statement that I am not responding to the Western Australian Government.

 I am concerned Ben Wyatt is more interested in walking away from the Commonwealth investment on the table to support his push to close remote Indigenous communities.

 I will not stand by and allow Ben Wyatt to do that.

The Commonwealth is committed to providing new investments in remote Indigenous housing in Western Australia on the condition the Western Australian Government also commits funding, just as other governments have done.

 I call on Peter Tinley to re-engage with me, re-engage in good faith and directly with me, not via the media and to get a deal done so Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Western Australia can benefit from the funding that the Commonwealth has put on the table.

 Since 2008 the Commonwealth has invested $1.16 billion to build 854 houses and 1,705 refurbishments in Western Australia across 94 communities. During this same time the WA Government has invested virtually nothing.

Over the past decade, and outside of the remote Indigenous housing deal, the Commonwealth has also invested $1.502 billion to address housing and homelessness in Western Australia through Special Purpose Payments for social housing as well as through the National Partnership on Homelessness and it appears WA Labor have no intention of utilising these significant funds for their remote Indigenous citizens. This is racism at its worst.

 ENDS

 Media Contact: Brett Chant, 0477 744 614