“CDP targeted over 30,000 remote-living jobless, over 80 per cent of whom were Indigenous. The program imposed heavier mutual obligations on participants than for non-remote unemployed and saw over 500,000 impoverishing penalties enforced for non-compliance.” - Dr Zoe Staines (University of Queensland).
A discussion paper developed by eight leading researchers with decades of research experience on remote Indigenous unemployment is making the case for major reforms to how livelihood and work programs operate in remote Australia.
It follows the Australian Government’s recent announcement that the Community Development Program (CDP) will be replaced with a new program by 2023.
Published by the Australian Institute, the discussion paper proposes seven principles for remote work and livelihoods policy:
- Avoid discrimination and uphold Indigenous rights
- Ensure a stable economic floor to alleviate poverty
- Acknowledge that there is not sufficient waged employment in remote areas
- Make suitable paid work available
- Support those who are unable to work
- Ensure a flexible response to social fluidity
- Properly support the Indigenous community-controlled sector
According to lead author Dr Zoe Staines (University of Queensland), in contrast to earlier remote-focused programs with similar complexity, CDP imposed harsh mutual obligation requirements, including by requiring abled-bodied unemployed people to engage in higher levels of work-for-the-dole than non-remote support recipients, initially 25 hours a week.
“CDP targeted over 30,000 remote-living jobless, over 80 per cent of whom were Indigenous. The program imposed heavier mutual obligations on participants than for non-remote unemployed and saw over 500,000 impoverishing penalties enforced for non-compliance,” Dr Zoe Staines says.
