Senator Scullion with Wadeye community children
Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Nigel Scullion has responded to criticism of a funding cut to the Machado-Joseph Disease (MJD) Foundation by pledging to find alternative sources of funding for the aggressive neurodegenerative condition. Recent evidence has supported claims that the disease is much more widespread among Aboriginal communities than first thought.
“MJD is a terrible disease that is particularly prevalent among Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory,” said Senator Scullion.
Senator Scullion said that he is not interested in any “ugly spat over funding” and wants to focus on ways forward to relieve the suffering from the “burdensome” disease. One of Australia’s greatest failures as an Indigenous Affairs Minister, Jenny Macklin recently slammed her successor, Senator Scullion for overturning a $10 million grant to a MJD support organisation. In a spate of financial commitments that the previous Government launched on its obvious way out of power in the last few months of its incumbency one of them was the $10 million grant.
Former Minister Macklin held the Indigenous Affairs portfolio for six years, one of the longest reigns, and contextually committed very little in financial grants till the end stretch. Her failures in housing, health and education for First Nations Peoples are tragically profound. Ms Macklin should have committed this type of funding at the beginning of her tenure in 2007 or following the Prime Ministerial Apology in 2008.
“The minister’s intervention to overturn a decision by the independent Indigenous Advisory Committee of the Aboriginal Benefits Account (ABA) is completely inappropriate,” Ms Macklin said.
“The minister should be ashamed.”
But as up to and possibly more than five per cent of the population of communities in Groote Eylandt in the eastern Gulf of Carpentaria are considered to be at risk from the disease. Sufferers have been found in the northeast Arnhem and in Central Australia. Anyone with a parent with MJD has a 50 per cent chance of contracting MJD.
Minister Scullion said that up to $500,000 per year to help people with MJD would be provided and that this amount per annum would cover the costs of therapeutic services and other assistance required by people with MJD. The new funding model would directly replace the funding that had been intended to be drawn down from the $10 million grant, in addition to an earlier $6 million provided through the ABA.
“The ABA is Aboriginal money and should not be used to fund basic health services,” said Minister Scullion.
“We do not ask that of people living in other communities. The Australian Government, rightly, has the responsibility to provide funds for social housing, health and education to Australians, regardless of their background or where they live.”
“Eroding the ABA by pulling out $10 million to allow any organisation to invest in order to fund its recurrent expenditure is an inappropriate use of mining royalty funds.”
Senator Scullion said it is “vital” that the sustainability of the ABA is maintained. “That’s why I overturned the decision of the former Minister to grant the Foundation $10 million from the ABA.”
“The ABA is invested and earns interest which funds one-off projects. It is not intended to provide recurrent funding for organisations.”
“The former Government’s actions would have not only eroded the ABA by $16 million, reducing its own annual earnings by about $1 million – forever.”
Senator Scullion relied on the argument of the left when he justified the alternative funding model for MJD. “Indigenous people with serious health issues should not have to fund their own therapeutic services.”
“This funding will be offered to the MJD Foundation over a period of up to three years and the Government is in discussion with the Foundation about the package.”
Senator Scullion also said that the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) will also majorly benefit MJD sufferers.
“Once rolled out in the Northern Territory, the NDIS will assess eligible individuals to see what help they need and then provide appropriate funding.”
He said that people who fail NDIS eligibility criteria but “who are at the latter stages of MJD with profound disabilities” that “where appropriate” he will personally assist them.
“That is why I am talking to the Assistant Minister for Social Services, Mitch Fifield, about how and when it will assist people living with MJD as part of the transition to the full scheme.”
Medical geneticist John MacMillan said the disease attacks the nervous system. Walking and eating become difficult.
Local community leaders lobbied to have Minister Scullion reconsider funding MJD after knocking back Ms Macklin’s grant commitment. The Central Land Council Chairman Maurie Japarta Ryan was one of the lobbyists. Mr Ryan also happens to be a member of the Aboriginal Benefits Account Board.
Mr Ryan had defended the use of ABA money for MJD. “This is not money coming out of the Taxation Department, not monies coming from anywhere else. It is money set aside for our most disadvantaged.”
“There is no cure for MJD but we have to relieve as much of the suffering on the sufferer and relieve as much of the burden from families before they breakdown,” said Mr Ryan.
