{"id":2592,"date":"2021-12-23T08:59:14","date_gmt":"2021-12-23T08:59:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/?p=2592"},"modified":"2021-12-23T08:59:14","modified_gmt":"2021-12-23T08:59:14","slug":"federal-government-to-pay-2m-over-cdp-work-for-the-dole-racism-claim-wont-repay-penalties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/?p=2592","title":{"rendered":"Federal government to pay $2m over CDP work-for-the-dole racism claim, won\u2019t repay penalties"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"_1HzXw\">The federal government will pay communities in central Western Australia $2 million to address alleged harms caused by its controversial Community Development Program (CDP).\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"_2X-83 g1U-R v-gc3\">\n<section class=\"_1uHEE _2Mryn\" role=\"contentinfo\" aria-label=\"key points\" data-component=\"KeyPoints\">\n<h2 class=\"wYJvU _1o1Da _1cBaI _18377 _2yZBa _3I3Xh _2uBSR _10YQT _1lh6E\" data-component=\"Heading\">Key points:<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"_1PvbE\" data-component=\"List\" role=\"list\">\n<li class=\"\" data-component=\"ListItem\"><span class=\"_216m9 _2aqv9\" \/>The government agrees\u00a0to settle with a remote Aboriginal community claiming the CDP was racist<\/li>\n<li class=\"\" data-component=\"ListItem\"><span class=\"_216m9 _2aqv9\" \/>It won&#8217;t pay back penalties docked from recipients\u00a0but the community says the goal is to move forward<\/li>\n<li class=\"\" data-component=\"ListItem\"><span class=\"_216m9 _2aqv9\" \/>Shire President Damian McLean says the government&#8217;s approach has improved<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"_1HzXw\">A class action group from\u00a0the\u00a0Ngaanyatjarra Lands near the Gibson Desert\u00a0argued the scheme breached\u00a0the Racial Discrimination Act by disproportionately penalising remote Indigenous people.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"_1HzXw\">The CDP, or work-for-the-dole\u00a0scheme,\u00a0penalised welfare recipients who failed to meet\u00a0engagement requirements by docking their payments.<\/p>\n<p class=\"_1HzXw\">About 80 per cent of participants over the claim period were Indigenous.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"_1HzXw\">When the legal action was filed in\u00a02019, local elder\u00a0Derek Harris told the ABC the scheme\u00a0<a target=\"_blank\" class=\"fmhNa nsZdE _2c2Zy _1tOey\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2019-08-09\/aboriginal-communities-sue-federal-government-over-cdp\/11267290\" data-component=\"ContentLink\" data-uri=\"coremedia:\/\/article\/11267290\" rel=\"noopener\">reminded him of the way his great-grandparents were treated in the 1920s<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"_3HiYf _2K_6X _1cBaI _2b-O4 _2yZBa _3I3Xh _2uBSR _10YQT _1lh6E\" data-component=\"Heading\">CDP &#8216;did more harm than good&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p class=\"_1HzXw\">Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku President Damian McLean worked on the mediation process, which concluded last week after a year of negotiation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"_1HzXw\">He said a key issue was the CDP was designed without consideration of the realities of remote life.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"_2X-83 g1U-R _1VIKT\" data-component=\"Pullquote\">\n<blockquote class=\"_2Bzft\">\n<p class=\"_1HzXw\">&#8220;Things that are designed in Canberra that\u00a0leave there as a ripple\u00a0break as a wave out here,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/aside>\n<figure class=\"_2XhY1 _2X-83 g1U-R _3V6uS\" role=\"group\" data-print=\"inline-media\" aria-labelledby=\"100723124\" data-component=\"Figure\" data-uri=\"coremedia:\/\/imageproxy\/100723124\">\n<div class=\"_3C2ok\" data-component=\"IntersectionObserver\">\n<div class=\"_3C5J1\" style=\"padding-bottom:66.66666666666666%\" data-component=\"AspectRatioContainer\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Damien McClean helps a local woman with her Centrelink claim in Warburton, WA.\" class=\"_1sqAO WIJbJ\" data-component=\"Image\" data-nojs=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au\/f8552b29d9ba1325b7701e87c7168aed?impolicy=wcms_crop_resize&amp;cropH=1474&amp;cropW=2212&amp;xPos=788&amp;yPos=111&amp;width=862&amp;height=575\" data-sizes=\"100vw\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Damien McClean helps a local woman with her Centrelink claim in Warburton, WA.\" src=\"https:\/\/live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au\/f8552b29d9ba1325b7701e87c7168aed?impolicy=wcms_crop_resize&amp;cropH=1474&amp;cropW=2212&amp;xPos=788&amp;yPos=111&amp;width=862&amp;height=575\" class=\"_1sqAO WIJbJ\" data-component=\"Image\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"_1WKJ_ _3rsys _1srG4 _3PhF6 _10YQT _2Cu8q\" id=\"100723124\" data-component=\"Figure__figcaption\"> <!-- -->Damian McLean says the program was doing more harm than good.<cite class=\"_3gxdk _3rsys _1srG4 _3PhF6 _10YQT _2Cu8q\" data-component=\"Figure__cite\">(<span class=\"_16znc _3rsys _1cBaI _3PhF6 _10YQT _2Cu8q\" data-component=\"Byline\"><span class=\"_3rsys _1srG4 _3PhF6 _10YQT _2Cu8q\" data-component=\"Text\"><span>ABC Goldfields: Tom Joyner<\/span><\/span><\/span>)<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"_1HzXw\">While the scheme&#8217;s\u00a0rules have since been relaxed due to the pandemic, Mr McLean said it disproportionately punished people in remote Indigenous communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"_1HzXw\">&#8220;It\u00a0was designed to funnel people through a gateway into a set of behaviours and responses that the government was looking for, and it was doing that through very coercive measures,&#8221; he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"_1HzXw\">&#8220;The result of that was a level of penalties on people that were\u00a0very disproportionately severe compared to the rest of the community.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"_1HzXw\">Mr McLean said the $2 million would go towards new equipment for community programs across the\u00a0Ngaanyatjarra Lands.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"_2XhY1 _2X-83 g1U-R _3V6uS\" role=\"group\" data-print=\"inline-media\" aria-labelledby=\"100723054\" data-component=\"Figure\" data-uri=\"coremedia:\/\/imageproxy\/100723054\">\n<div class=\"_3C2ok\" data-component=\"IntersectionObserver\">\n<div class=\"_3C5J1\" style=\"padding-bottom:66.66666666666666%\" data-component=\"AspectRatioContainer\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A shipping container painted with 'Warburton CDP Shed'\" class=\"_1sqAO WIJbJ\" data-component=\"Image\" data-nojs=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au\/f62ef22dffdcffa301c2b8fc74a27849?impolicy=wcms_crop_resize&amp;cropH=1681&amp;cropW=2521&amp;xPos=579&amp;yPos=391&amp;width=862&amp;height=575\" data-sizes=\"100vw\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A shipping container painted with 'Warburton CDP Shed'\" src=\"https:\/\/live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au\/f62ef22dffdcffa301c2b8fc74a27849?impolicy=wcms_crop_resize&amp;cropH=1681&amp;cropW=2521&amp;xPos=579&amp;yPos=391&amp;width=862&amp;height=575\" class=\"_1sqAO WIJbJ\" data-component=\"Image\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"_1WKJ_ _3rsys _1srG4 _3PhF6 _10YQT _2Cu8q\" id=\"100723054\" data-component=\"Figure__figcaption\"> <!-- -->The money will be spent on updating equipment for community programs.<cite class=\"_3gxdk _3rsys _1srG4 _3PhF6 _10YQT _2Cu8q\" data-component=\"Figure__cite\">(<span class=\"_16znc _3rsys _1cBaI _3PhF6 _10YQT _2Cu8q\" data-component=\"Byline\"><span class=\"_3rsys _1srG4 _3PhF6 _10YQT _2Cu8q\" data-component=\"Text\"><span>ABC Goldfields: Sean Tarek Goodwin<\/span><\/span><\/span>)<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"_3HiYf _2K_6X _1cBaI _2b-O4 _2yZBa _3I3Xh _2uBSR _10YQT _1lh6E\" data-component=\"Heading\">Penalties won&#8217;t be paid back<\/h2>\n<p class=\"_1HzXw\">A spokesperson for the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Ken Wyatt, said the Commonwealth denied the program was racist.<\/p>\n<p class=\"_1HzXw\">When asked if other communities would also be compensated, the spokesperson said this matter only concerned\u00a0the Ngaanyatjarra Lands.<\/p>\n<p class=\"_1HzXw\">But the spokesperson said the government no longer penalised\u00a0welfare recipients in the same way.<\/p>\n<p class=\"_1HzXw\">&#8220;Following various public reviews and regular feedback from communities and CDP providers, the government has shifted its approach to CDP JobSeeker participation in activities from compliance to engagement,&#8221;\u00a0a statement read.<\/p>\n<p class=\"_1HzXw\">They said the government would not be looking to compensate penalties deducted from those under the scheme.<\/p>\n<p class=\"_1HzXw\">The Federal Court judgement also indicated claimants would forego the recovery of those penalties.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"_2X-83 g1U-R _3sGZp\" data-component=\"LegacyWysiwyg\" data-print=\"inline-media\" data-uri=\"coremedia:\/\/teaser\/12625936\" title=\"Find more local news\">\n<h2 class=\"wYJvU _1o1Da _1cBaI _18377 _2yZBa _3I3Xh _2uBSR _10YQT _1lh6E\" data-component=\"Heading\">Find more local news<\/h2>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"_1HzXw\">An estimated $530,000 was withheld from CDP participants in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands over the period, which would amount to an average of $790 per person.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"_1HzXw\">A submission from the claim group&#8217;s lawyer also said that was not the goal.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"_1HzXw\">&#8220;That would do nothing to address the problems the communities (including the group members) have with the CDP and the vision they have for something that better meets the needs of the Ngaanyatjarra people,&#8221; the submission read.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"_2XhY1 _2X-83 g1U-R _3V6uS\" role=\"group\" data-print=\"inline-media\" aria-labelledby=\"100723156\" data-component=\"Figure\" data-uri=\"coremedia:\/\/imageproxy\/100723156\">\n<div class=\"_3C2ok\" data-component=\"IntersectionObserver\">\n<div class=\"_3C5J1\" style=\"padding-bottom:66.66666666666666%\" data-component=\"AspectRatioContainer\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Map of central Australia showing Warburton\" class=\"_1sqAO WIJbJ\" data-component=\"Image\" data-nojs=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au\/eb878275e8888887e09da75a7569507e?impolicy=wcms_crop_resize&amp;cropH=837&amp;cropW=1256&amp;xPos=260&amp;yPos=0&amp;width=862&amp;height=575\" data-sizes=\"100vw\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Map of central Australia showing Warburton\" src=\"https:\/\/live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au\/eb878275e8888887e09da75a7569507e?impolicy=wcms_crop_resize&amp;cropH=837&amp;cropW=1256&amp;xPos=260&amp;yPos=0&amp;width=862&amp;height=575\" class=\"_1sqAO WIJbJ\" data-component=\"Image\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"_1WKJ_ _3rsys _1srG4 _3PhF6 _10YQT _2Cu8q\" id=\"100723156\" data-component=\"Figure__figcaption\"> <!-- -->Warburton is the largest community in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands, one of the country&#8217;s most sparsely populated regions.\u00a0<cite class=\"_3gxdk _3rsys _1srG4 _3PhF6 _10YQT _2Cu8q\" data-component=\"Figure__cite\">(<span class=\"_16znc _3rsys _1cBaI _3PhF6 _10YQT _2Cu8q\" data-component=\"Byline\"><span class=\"_3rsys _1srG4 _3PhF6 _10YQT _2Cu8q\" data-component=\"Text\"><span>Supplied: Google Earth<\/span><\/span><\/span>)<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"_3HiYf _2K_6X _1cBaI _2b-O4 _2yZBa _3I3Xh _2uBSR _10YQT _1lh6E\" data-component=\"Heading\">Government changed its approach<\/h2>\n<p class=\"_1HzXw\">Mr McLean said he was confident the government&#8217;s approach had\u00a0since become more consultative.<\/p>\n<p class=\"_1HzXw\">&#8220;We were able to make representations to the Commonwealth that did in fact demonstrate that\u00a0this program was doing a lot more harm than good,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"_1HzXw\">&#8220;It&#8217;s looked at it and come forward and said\u00a0that we accept that there\u00a0are significant problems within the program as it is, and we want to address\u00a0some of the worst effects of that where you are.&#8221;<\/p>\n<aside class=\"_2X-83 g1U-R v-gc3 _299hJ\" data-component=\"RelatedCard\" data-uri=\"coremedia:\/\/article\/100356852\"><a target=\"_blank\" class=\"_1srdy fmhNa nsZdE _2c2Zy _3EOTW\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2021-08-24\/country-social\/100338822\" data-component=\"MediaObject\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"RCbfz dA4xg _2q0YW\">\n<h3 class=\"_157vS _3YGKF wYJvU _1o1Da _1cBaI _18377 _2yZBa _3I3Xh _2uBSR _10YQT _1lh6E\" data-component=\"Heading\"><span>What&#8217;s being shared online in your town?<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"_2w1Dd\">\n<div class=\"_3C2ok\" data-component=\"IntersectionObserver\">\n<div class=\"_3C5J1\" style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%\" data-component=\"AspectRatioContainer\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A graphic of a laptop in a country town street with social media logos and the title Country Social visible\" class=\"_1sqAO WIJbJ _10f2V\" data-component=\"Image\" data-nojs=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au\/770d257e429c1dcc40928bd227458e11?impolicy=wcms_crop_resize&amp;cropH=1080&amp;cropW=1920&amp;xPos=0&amp;yPos=0&amp;width=862&amp;height=485\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A graphic of a laptop in a country town street with social media logos and the title Country Social visible\" src=\"https:\/\/live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au\/770d257e429c1dcc40928bd227458e11?impolicy=wcms_crop_resize&amp;cropH=1080&amp;cropW=1920&amp;xPos=0&amp;yPos=0&amp;width=862&amp;height=485\" class=\"_1sqAO WIJbJ _10f2V\" data-component=\"Image\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"_3PR0j _3rsys _1cBaI _3VnJp _10YQT\" data-component=\"Typography\">Have you seen your regional community change because of what people are\u00a0sharing online? The ABC&#8217;s Country Social project wants to hear from you<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"_2hGMn\"><span class=\"rMkro _1cBaI _3VnJp _10YQT\" data-component=\"Typography\">Read more<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/aside>\n<p class=\"_1HzXw\">The Ngaanyatjarra Lands will be one of five areas to pilot\u00a0the system that will replace the CDP.<\/p>\n<p class=\"_1HzXw\">The Remote Engagement Program will reward participants in work-like programs with additional payments\u00a0instead of penalising non-compliance.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"_1HzXw\">&#8220;It&#8217;s just in its infancy at the moment, but all indications are that the Commonwealth&#8217;s very serious about running what they describe as a co-design process with significant community input,&#8221; Mr McLean said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2021-12-23\/federal-government-to-pay-2m-over-cdp-work-for-the-dole-claim\/100722290\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The federal government will pay communities in central Western Australia $2 million to address alleged harms caused by its controversial Community Development Program (CDP).\u00a0 Key points: The government agrees\u00a0to settle with a remote Aboriginal community claiming the CDP was racist It won&#8217;t pay back penalties docked from recipients\u00a0but the community says the goal is to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2593,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[45],"tags":[2349,2352,2348,31,409,2354,2351,2353,130,2350],"class_list":["post-2592","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ripple","tag-cdp","tag-claim","tag-federal","tag-government","tag-pay","tag-penalties","tag-racism","tag-repay","tag-wont","tag-workforthedole"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/ce9c01ea79d860b2c653646dd50df0c5.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2592","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2592"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2592\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2594,"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2592\/revisions\/2594"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2593"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2592"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2592"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2592"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}