Leader of the Opposition, Bill Shorten and Senator Nova Peris today visited Bubup Wilam Aboriginal Children and Family Centre in Victoria to listen to the concerns of staff, families and members of the Indigenous community who will be hurt by Tony Abbott’s broken promise.

Next week, Tony Abbott will visit Arnhem Land, where he needs to explain how cutting over $500 million from frontline services helps Close the Gap.

Bubup Wilam Aboriginal Children and Family Centre is one of 38 centres which face closure because of Tony Abbott’s refusal to renew ongoing funding in his unfair Budget.

Before the last election, Tony Abbott said he would be a Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs. It’s now obvious that this was yet another broken promise.

“It’s my hope that I could be not just the prime minister but the prime minister for Aboriginal affairs. The first one that we have ever had”
TONY ABBOTT – SYDNEY MORNING HERALD – 10 AUGUST 2013

Indigenous Australians need more than words from the Prime Minister.

Centres like Bubup Wilam deliver early childhood education, antenatal care programs and maternal and child health services.

Tony Abbott’s decision to axe funding directly impedes the progress we have made on Closing the Gap.

Tony Abbott’s cruel and short-sighted cuts to Indigenous programs is undermining and putting at risk the hard work governments and Indigenous communities have done to Close the Gap.

What kind of ‘Prime Minister for Aboriginal affairs’ rips over $534 million from Indigenous programs and axes funding to Children and Family Centres that are trying to provide basic services to young families?

Bubup Wilam was built as part of the Council of the Australian Government’s approach to Closing the Gap, which seeks to reduce the gap in developmental outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children by addressing the needs of Indigenous children in their early years.

Instead, Tony Abbott has decided to turn his back on Indigenous communities.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people cannot afford more empty words and lies from Tony Abbott.

WEDNESDAY, 10 SEPTEMBER 2014

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