Having appointed himself Prime Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, then PM Tony Abbott went about cutting more than $500 million from Aboriginal services funding in the 2014 budget. The cuts formed part of a plan to consolidate existing government-funded Aboriginal affairs programs into its 鈥淚ndigenous Advancement Strategy鈥 (IAS).
In March this year, Minister for Indigenous Affairs Nigel Scullion announced that nearly 1000 organisations would receive a share of the $860 million up for grabs in the first round of IAS funding. This money is going to finance 1297 projects.
Indigenous Advancement Strategy
In much the same way that the Tony Abbott government鈥檚 attacks on Gillian Triggs deflected media attention away from the horrific substance of the Human Rights Commission鈥檚 report on children living in detention, his 鈥渓ifestyle choices鈥 comment this week ensured the media has paid little attention to the government鈥檚 cuts to Aboriginal services.