Community Organisation Lose In Northern Territory Budget

The Department of the Chief Minister is taking a 'circuses and bread' approach to making the Chief Minister as popular as possible at the expense of Women's Advancement, Youth Advancement, Multicultural Advancement and Senior's Advancement in the 2006-07 budget. $211,000 has been cut from these areas budgets this year. That was after those areas were deliberately starved of funds last year.

"The only areas seeing an increase is 'Support to Community Organisations and Events.'”, Opposition Leader Jodeen Carney said today.

"Even that is a fake increase as the Government is announcing that as an increase to $3.6 million dollars when two years ago that line item received nearly $4 million.

"In the current financial year the Government hasn't spent what it said it would on Women, Youth, Seniors and Cultural Diversity and in the next budget they're cutting even deeper into those areas.

"If you look at the last two Budget Papers number three in Outputs and Performance in the Department of the Chief Minister you will see what could only be described as a scorched earth policy in these areas.

"The only area that gets any more money this year is the Community Organisations and Events. This means that the Chief Minister has stopped caring about spending in low profile areas, such as Youth and Seniors and increased spending in the areas that provide the best photo opportunities.

"The cynicism of this Government is breathtaking. The spin factory on the 5th floor is going to cost taxpayers even more this year than the $8 million they cost last year and its all becoming a way to provide publicity for 'Our Clare'. The problem is that the people who don't have loud voices will the people who miss out.”

2006-05-09