Federal Government Bullies Barkly CDEP Organisations

Member for Lingiari and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia and Indigenous Affairs Warren Snowdon today called on the Federal Government to show the same level of accountability to CDEP participants as it expected from CDEP organisations.

Mr Snowdon said Southern Barkly Aboriginal Corporation CDEP had been terminated without adequate warning, explanation or any adequate transitional arrangements being made.

'They were formally advised in writing early this week that today was their last day of operation and there are serious questions about it this but no time to ask them.

'The Government and the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations need to come clean on:

- How they intend to transfer assets from one organisation to another;
- How they can expedite CDEP participants signing up with a new CDEP provider so they don't lose out on wages, but without breaching privacy laws and without talking to those participants;
- How the Department can justify putting 10 people at Southern Barkly out of full-time work without making alternative arrangements for them;
- How many other CDEPs around Australia are in the same boat and how many other full-time workers lost their jobs without any alternatives.

'The Minister said Southern Barkly lost CDEP because of poor performance and governance, but none of the correspondence they've received says any such thing.

'This is shonky, shifty and irresponsible behaviour on the part of the Minister and the Department.

'But they're not just shonks, they're bullies as well because they've been threatening CDEPs with closure or putting them on short-term contracts for failing to sign off on their performance funding agreements and yet failing to give them proper support.

'Pouncing on people like this without warning and then badmouthing them is not due process and this whole sorry mess shows that the Minister and the Department need to lift their game and be fully accountable to the people,' Mr Snowdon said.

2006-06-30