The federal government’s Community Development Program (CDP) scheme was criticised this week for being too harsh and not taking into account the challenges people living in remote communities face — such as the lack of jobs. But the biggest problem isn’t that CDP is too punitive, but that there is no economy in remote Indigenous communities.
The expectation for people to engage in ‘work-like activities’ five hours a day for five days a week in return for six weeks holiday and sick leave doesn’t seem that bad. While the pay may not be substantial, the arrangement offers more annual leave than most people working full-time get.
But because there has never been a real economy in these communities, people are not used to the expectations that come with employment. Such as: if you fail to turn up for work you don’t get paid, and if you do it often enough you’ll get fired. People on CDP who fail to meet their work activity obligations don’t get paid for eight weeks. While eight weeks might seem like a long time, it’s not as harsh as actually losing your job.
The trouble is previous job training and employment schemes, such as the Remote Jobs and Community Program (RJCP) and the Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP), did not have the same attendance obligations. Or if they did, they did not enforce them consistently. Despite the introduction of a ‘no work, no pay’ rule, many CDEP participants did little or even no work, and still got paid.
Rather than focusing on welfare conditionality, the federal government would be better off following the NSW government’s lead and focus on real job creation through land reforms. Under recommendations from a parliamentary inquiry the NSW government announced it will introduce changes to land rights laws to prioritise Aboriginal economic development. Internationally, there is evidence that such an approach can reap dividends, with a Maori tribe translating assets worth $2.3 million into more than $200 million in 30 years.
It is time to stop thinking that make-work schemes like CDP are the only form of employment for Indigenous people living in remote communities, and to focus on real economic development strategies instead.
Home > Commentary > Opinion > It’s the economy, stupid
It’s the economy, stupid
The expectation for people to engage in ‘work-like activities’ five hours a day for five days a week in return for six weeks holiday and sick leave doesn’t seem that bad. While the pay may not be substantial, the arrangement offers more annual leave than most people working full-time get.
But because there has never been a real economy in these communities, people are not used to the expectations that come with employment. Such as: if you fail to turn up for work you don’t get paid, and if you do it often enough you’ll get fired. People on CDP who fail to meet their work activity obligations don’t get paid for eight weeks. While eight weeks might seem like a long time, it’s not as harsh as actually losing your job.
The trouble is previous job training and employment schemes, such as the Remote Jobs and Community Program (RJCP) and the Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP), did not have the same attendance obligations. Or if they did, they did not enforce them consistently. Despite the introduction of a ‘no work, no pay’ rule, many CDEP participants did little or even no work, and still got paid.
Rather than focusing on welfare conditionality, the federal government would be better off following the NSW government’s lead and focus on real job creation through land reforms. Under recommendations from a parliamentary inquiry the NSW government announced it will introduce changes to land rights laws to prioritise Aboriginal economic development. Internationally, there is evidence that such an approach can reap dividends, with a Maori tribe translating assets worth $2.3 million into more than $200 million in 30 years.
It is time to stop thinking that make-work schemes like CDP are the only form of employment for Indigenous people living in remote communities, and to focus on real economic development strategies instead.
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