Minister puts First Peoples' Congress up for review
Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion has put the future of the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples up for review.
The Congress is a national body which represents the views of Australia’s Indigenous communities.
According to the co-chair of the Congress; nearly 7,500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders people have signed up to represent thousands of Indigenous families.
The Indigenous Affairs Minister says he has questions over the funding and operation of the body, which costs $29 million per year.
National Congress of Australia's First Peoples elected co-chair, Kirstie Parker has pushed for the Government to honour its pledge for an extra $15 million in funding between now and 2017.
The minister says the funding is not assured, and that he must first be convinced that the Congress is effective enough to justify the spend.
“The whole notion of Congress was that they were funded in a way that said, at the end of this period of five years you will then be independent,” Senator Scullion said.
“That five years isn't over. They have some substantial funds in reserve and I've yet to have that conversation with Congress.”
“Congress at the moment have some $8 million.”
Shadow Indigenous Affairs Minister Shayne Neumann says the Congress should be given a chance to get on its feet.
“We put $15 million aside in the forward estimates to continue the funding for this important representative organisation,” Mr Neumann said.
“And I call on Nigel Scullion to do the right thing by Congress and Indigenous people of this country and commit himself to that funding.”
The funding will no doubt be a topic raised when the Prime Minister meets the National Indigenous Advisory Council for the first time in Canberra today.