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Money that's black and white and spent all over

by Debra Jopson

Eddie Mabo

March 16, 2001 - The Budget papers may refer to it as "indigenous-specific" spending, but Debra Jopson discovers it's a grey area.

The Prime Minister told this week's opening of the $152 million National Museum of Australia that visitors would be helped to understand our history by the "first ever full exhibition of the life and experience of the Torres Strait Islander people". He did not mention that the help comes courtesy of a section of the Federal Budget described as "indigenous-specific."

Since the last Budget, Howard and his ministers have been trumpeting that this financial year they are spending a record $2.3 billion aimed at indigenous people.

The Attorney-General, Daryl Williams, revealed only yesterday that he had used the figure in a submission to the UN Human Rights Commission to defend Australia against a complaint that mandatory sentencing discriminated against Aborigines.

He said Aborigines were over-represented in the criminal justice system because of disadvantage and "the Commonwealth is attempting to redress this disadvantage with $2.3 billion of programs". The Office of Indigenous Policy in Howard's own department claims this represents an average of $22,000 for every indigenous household.

However, Budget documents reveal almost $4.3 million of the $2.3 billion this year went towards creating the National Museum's Gallery of Aboriginal Australia. The Government also tagged as "indigenous-specific" the $12.4 million spent on the gallery last financial year and the $3.3 million the year before that.

So Aussies of all backgrounds visiting the museum get the benefit of a part of the Budget which the Government has clearly labelled the "black dollar". Many black dollars would be more aptly described as grey - or even white.

When Federal ministers speak of the record "indigenous" expenditure, they like to conjure up images of improving indigenous lives by delivering health, housing, education and employment - the "practical" reconciliation measures the Government favours.

So we are entitled to be surprised that the Prime Minister pays for his departmental advice out of this "indigenous-specific" funding. For each of the past three years, more than $8 million has been allocated for "indigenous policy and co-ordination" within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. This is done by the Office of Indigenous Policy which is renowned for two achievements in Aboriginal affairs: overseeing the Government's defence of the Cubillo-Gunner "stolen generations" test case and for penning a document which claimed there were no stolen generations.

The Government has said that the office provides alternative advice to that of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC), which accounts for about $1.1 billion of the budget. So the "black dollar" helps to fund both sides when the Federal Government and ATSIC do not see eye to eye.

This occurred in the Cubillo-Gunner case, in which ATSIC helped fund the plaintiffs' case. At United Nations human rights forums in Geneva, ATSIC has argued against the Federal Government, while Office of Indigenous Affairs officers have defended it.

There are other grey areas, where it is questionable whether the greatest beneficiaries are Aborigines or non-Aborigines. For instance, reconciliation is meant to be about harmony between the two groups. But under the Government formula, the $5.3 million spent on it is "black." So was the $7.5 million last year and the $5 million the year before that.

Native title accounts for another chunk of "black" expenditure. This year $4.6 million is being spent by the Attorney-General on top of $14 million paid out to the States. Then there is almost $23 million allocated to the National Native Title Tribunal and $8.6 million to the Federal Court to deal with native title jurisdiction matters.

The dollars may appear black, but there are plenty of "grey" areas. Not all native title dollars are being used to Aboriginal advantage. They are being used to help those opposing native title claims. They are being used to help other landholders and the nation deal with the fallout of a High Court decision - the landmark Mabo finding in 1992 that native title exists.

All these figures have been gathered and added together in a document which appears to have been created by lassoing every Budget dollar which could be tagged "indigenous" in every corner of the bureaucracy.

Even $100,000 for safety inspections at remote aerodromes serving indigenous communities in northern Australia has been roped in as an item of "Aboriginal" expenditure in the past three budgets.

The document is called Our Future Together. John Howard pleads for honesty about our past. How about a bit more in the Budget?

Clip from The Sydney Morning Herald

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