Mr PERRON - 1994-10-05
Mr PERRON (Chief Minister): Mr Speaker, I have additional information in response to a question asked by the member for Arafura this morning. My answer may have inadvertently led listeners to believe that the honourable member was referring to a Northern Territory government health clinic in an Aboriginal community when he was talking about what he described as 'appalling conditions and facilities'. I have no personal knowledge of those conditions and facilities other than that I am advised that this is not a health service that the Northern Territory government has ever funded.
Mr Ede: Yes. You do not give it a single dollar.
Mr PERRON: The Urapuntja Health Service is funded by ATSIC and is entirely within its charter. That is what ATSIC is provided with funds for. It appears to me that this health service is one of the victims of a very confused Commonwealth policy as to exactly who is responsible for health services for Aboriginal people in Australia.
Mr Ede: They went there because you would not provide a service.
Mr PERRON: There is very considerable confusion in Aboriginal communities, and that is quite understandable because confusion exists also among levels of government bureaucracy as to whose responsibility it is exactly to provide certain levels of service.
I ask members to reflect on why ATSIC has been given a responsibility for Aboriginal health. If it has been given a responsibility for Aboriginal health, then one may well say that, because governments are not responding sufficiently to the health needs of Aboriginal people, then ATSIC has a legitimate role to be involved in health services. However, if it becomes involved in health services and if it establishes health services, it ought to fund them.
Mr Ede: It was established 16 years ago. Why won't you give a hand?
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Mr Ede: Yes. You do not give it a single dollar.
Mr PERRON: The Urapuntja Health Service is funded by ATSIC and is entirely within its charter. That is what ATSIC is provided with funds for. It appears to me that this health service is one of the victims of a very confused Commonwealth policy as to exactly who is responsible for health services for Aboriginal people in Australia.
Mr Ede: They went there because you would not provide a service.
Mr PERRON: There is very considerable confusion in Aboriginal communities, and that is quite understandable because confusion exists also among levels of government bureaucracy as to whose responsibility it is exactly to provide certain levels of service.
I ask members to reflect on why ATSIC has been given a responsibility for Aboriginal health. If it has been given a responsibility for Aboriginal health, then one may well say that, because governments are not responding sufficiently to the health needs of Aboriginal people, then ATSIC has a legitimate role to be involved in health services. However, if it becomes involved in health services and if it establishes health services, it ought to fund them.
Mr Ede: It was established 16 years ago. Why won't you give a hand?
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016