It is correct that Australia too is feeling the pinch of the global recession but as the world’s 12th largest economy and with a resources mining boom still in full swing there is little excuse for funding cuts to Closing the Gap initiatives and initiatives addressing homelessness.

In the last six months, federally and state-wide governments have terminated funding which has hurt impoverished Aboriginal communities, that have diminished Closing the Gap initiatives and that have downsized services to the homeless (whose numbers are rising).

Western Australia’s Aboriginal peoples have been hit with funding cuts from both the State and the Federal Governments. Last week The National Indigenous Times reported that the Wyndham Early Learning Centre had the majority of its funding cut despite Prime Minister Julia Gillard attending last year’s launch of the Centre’s new purpose built building which for the last year had been providing a suite of services to its 220 members. 

The State Government has now said it cannot promise the WA Aboriginal Health Council that it will continue to fully support various Aboriginal health initiatives that are part of the Closing the Gap recommendations geared around increasing Aboriginal life expectancy, and education and employment levels. 

The WA Aboriginal Health Council argues the initiatives they are worried about in terms of State funding have generated hundreds of jobs around the State, the majority of them held by Aboriginal persons.

It has been reported that WA Premier Colin Barnett’s office has said that his Government intends to continue to fund the programs but will not commit or speculate on how much of the funding they will continue to provide. They insist on waiting for the end of August State Budget before committing to what they say they can afford.