DEBORAH ONEILL

Senator for New South Wales

Chair of the Senate Select Committee for Health
NOVA PERIS OAM
Senator for Northern Territory
HEALTH INQUIRY EXPOSES CUTS TO FRONTLINE
HEALTH SERVICES ACROSS THE NORTHERN
TERRITORY.
Savage cuts and funding uncertainty have been detailed at the Senate Select
Committee on Health in Darwin today, with experts lining up to defend the Territorys
vital health programs from further cuts.
Senator ONeill, Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Health said that the roll
out of the Abbott Governments Indigenous Advancement Strategy (IAS) met with
considerable criticism today, with witness after witness describing the chaos and
uncertainty of funding, and the loss of front line services for the poorest and sickest
people in Australia.
Ms Olga Havnen, CEO of Danila Dilba Health Service described the slashes to
funding for critical Indigenous Health Programs as death by a thousand cuts.
These programs are very much based on evidence and tackle some of the long
term entrenched problems we are face here in the Territory, said Ms Havnen.
Danila Dilba Health Service will no longer provide its Youth Mental Health Program
and Alcohol and Other Drugs Program because the service was not successful in
securing funds for these vital programs under the IAS.
I really dont how anyone could reasonably expect us to be well organised and have
our budgets planned with no information its obscene. We are surrounded by a
cloud of uncertainty. Ms Havnen said.
Professor John Wakerman, Associate Dean of Flinders University in the Northern
Territory said that many Aboriginal Health Services are delivering exemplary services
resulting in excellent health outcomes.
The Tobacco Program operating from Danila Dilba has documented positive results
in reduction of smoking rates and a reduced uptake of smoking amongst children
participating in the program.

Despite these successes, the Abbott Government has failed to listen to the experts,
and funding to these programs will cease, leaving staff and patients in limbo.
The Tobacco program only has funding until the end of this financial year and then
we dont know if we have a program. I dont think the Government really understands
how difficult it is to recruit capable staff and then retain them. This uncertainty makes
it impossible to plan, what do I tell our staff?
Dr Kiarna Brown, a Director from the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association
(AIDA) reported that 70-80% of hospital admissions in the Northern Territory are
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people despite the fact that Indigenous people
only make up 30% of the population of the Territory.
Cutting frontline services will force more people to present to the already
overburdened Royal Darwin Hospital Emergency Department.
The process surrounding the IAS was absolutely disastrous, said Senator for the
Northern Territory, Senator Nova Peris.
Today we heard from some of Australias leading experts in indigenous health, all
saying that indigenous Territorians will suffer when essential front line services are
slashed under the flawed IAS process.
Proven and effective programs in the area of chronic disease prevention will soon
be forced to close their doors. This is heartbreaking, but the Liberals just dont care.
Senator ONeill said Nigel Scullion continues to stand up in the Parliament and
assert that there have been no cuts to front line services in the Territory.
The evidence received today reveals a very different reality, Senator Scullion should
tell the truth to the people of the Northern Territory and the Senate.
Senator Scullion should listen to the advice of AMSANT and continue the funding of
Indigenous Chronic Disease programs, reverse cuts to hospital funding, expand the
funding for the development of an aboriginal workforce and reverse the
governments determination to freeze indexation.
The Committee will travel to Halls Creek and Kununurra in Western Australia
tomorrow, returning to the Northern Territory later in the week.
A full program for upcoming public hearings is available at:
www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Health/Health/Public_
Hearings
END
27 April 2015
CONTACT

Anne Charlton (ONeill)

02 4367 4565