NT Aboriginal groups accuse CLP of 'weaponising' Closing the Gap funding

Aboriginal groups have renewed calls for the Commonwealth to overhaul its funding arrangements with the Northern Territory government, accusing the Country Liberal Party (CLP) of "weaponising" federal Indigenous disadvantage funding against Aboriginal Territorians.It comes amid a furore over the NT government's handling of sweeping child protection law changes and ahead of the release of a Closing the Gap update expected to show the Territory's data continuing to worsen.The CLP's child protection changes passed Territory parliament last week in the face of fierce criticism and calls on the Finocchiaro government to pause the bill for consultation with Aboriginal groups.Hundreds of people protested against the changes to child protection laws before they were passed in NT parliament last week. (ABC News: Olivana Lathouris)The government's refusal to pause sparked the resignation of the NT children's commissioner, Larrakia woman Shahleena Musk, earlier this month.Late last week, Aboriginal health executive Rob McPhee announced he would step down as co-chair of one of the Territory's key Closing the Gap partnership bodies, the NT Children and Families Tripartite Forum.In a statement, Mr McPhee said it had become "increasingly evident [the Finocchiaro government] is not committed to genuine partnership" with the forum, which he said was "inconsistent" with the Closing the Gap reforms agreed to by the states and territories six years ago.In an interview, Mr McPhee said the CLP's actions showed that "particular parts of this government are just not interested in pursuing shared decision-making".Rob McPhee has criticised the NT government for what he says is a lack of interest in shared decision-making. (ABC News: Marcus Kennedy)"What's concerning here is you look back in history and all examples show that things do not get better for Aboriginal people when non-Aboriginal governments make decisions on our behalf," he said."That's got to change."Pushing through legislation because you have the numbers in government, regardless of what the experts say and what the community says, is not supporting the principles in the National Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap, it's actually working against them."Mr McPhee said changes were "absolutely necessary" to the way high levels of federal funding allocated to the NT on the basis of Indigenous disadvantage were delivered — a prospect mooted by Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy late last year.Theresa Roe says the NT government should be held accountable through federal funding changes. (ABC News: Marcus Kennedy)His comments echo the calls of other Aboriginal groups including Aboriginal Peak Organisations NT, whose chair Theresa Roe spoke at a protest against the child protection legislation outside parliament house last week."What we are urgently needing now is for the Commonwealth government to hold the NT government accountable for its treatment of our people and our children," she said."Seventy per cent of money coming into the Northern Territory government comes from the Commonwealth, and they are using that money as a weapon against us."Potential financial penalties still up in the airThe latest Closing the Gap annual compilation report is due to be released late tonight.Last year, the data showed that nationally, only four out of the 19 targets were on track to be met by deadline.The NT was the worst-performing jurisdiction, with the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people going backwards on eight targets.In particular, the introduction of tough-on-crime policies that drove up Indigenous incarceration rates brought both the Northern Territory and Queensland under fire from the federal government.In October, Ms McCarthy said financial penalties were on the table for states and territories not meeting commitments under the Closing the Gap agreement and that she had set up a federal ministerial working group to examine the issue.In response to questions from the ABC this week, a spokesperson for Ms McCarthy said "all options" remained on the table, but did not provide a detailed update.The spokesperson said Ms McCarthy "is continuing to put pressure on states and territories to honour their commitments through the Joint Council on Closing the Gap and colleagues are doing the same across ministerial forums".Malarndirri McCarthy has not provided updates on potential financial penalties for failure to meet Closing the Gap targets. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)The ABC put questions to the NT government about Mr McPhee's comments regarding shared decision-making and the government's commitments under the national partnership agreement.Aboriginal Affairs Minister Steve Edgington said in a statement that the CLP remained committed to the agreement and he would continue to represent the Territory on the agreement's joint council.On the prospect of changes to funding arrangements, Mr Edgington said: "The Northern Territory has the highest proportion of Aboriginal residents living in remote and very remote areas and faces unique and complex challenges, particularly in relation to remoteness and service delivery.""As a result, the Territory faces the highest levels of disadvantage in the country," he said."This will not be solved by the Commonwealth investing less into Closing the Gap in the Territory."Steve Edgington says the CLP government remains committed to the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. (ABC News: Dane Hirst)The updated data will be released just over a day before NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro is due to give an address at the Garma Festival in north-east Arnhem Land.Following the passing of the child protection changes last week, Ms Finocchiaro has been dismissive of questions about the extent of opposition to the reforms, which came from mainstream child safety organisations as well as frontline and peak Aboriginal bodies.She told ABC Darwin local radio: "I feel like anyone who rings in to ABC these days is an expert, doesn't that make me an expert too?" "I mean, for goodness sake, I don't have to justify this, this has been done with the best interest of a child at heart — the CLP is putting the safety of a child first."Ms McCarthy will also be attending the upcoming Garma Festival, though Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will not make an appearance.He has had to defend his decision not to attend, after previously promising he would go and remain engaged "every single year" he remained in the role.