Australian Federal Budget 2020 – what’s in it for First Nations people?

Hello and welcome to the Indigipreneur, the show that gets you the latest news relating to First Nations Entrepreneurship - news, analysis, and comment from Barayamal, the world's first Indigenous Accelerator.

Today we’ll discuss the ins and outs of one of the most important Federal Government budgets since World War II., which aims to get us out of our first recession since 30 years ago.

Long story short, the Morrison government is trusting in a business-led recovery that aims to create jobs

But what’s in it for First Nations people?

What did they get?

The same old story - nothing...

There was no new funding allocated specifically for Indigenous people, and any new projects will come out of the National Indigenous Australians Agency’s existing budget.

Ken Wyatt, said the Morrison government was committed to changing the way it works with, but if actions speak louder than words, not committing any new funding to Close the economic disparities gaps tells us everything we need to know.

In addition, a lot of funding Ken mentioned is going to non-Indigenous organisations, which the government has a habit of doing

- IBA will receive an extra $150 million would go towards the Indigenous Home Ownership Program for regional areas

- The Government is providing $39.8 million over four years for the Clontarf Foundation, including $7.6 million through the Indigenous Advancement Strategy

$16.7 million in National Partnership payments to the States and Territories for specific Indigenous health programs

The problem with that?

First Nations people can solve their own challenges, and the money is getting lost in administration fees where the wealth managers (government and non-Indigenous organisations) are taking their cuts while little is going directly into First Nations communities.

Minister Wyatt also said “The 2020-21 Budget continues the Government’s commitment to co-designing the solutions that will positively impact the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,”

Like the voice, we need Ken Wyatt to step up and start cutting the middleman from funding that should be going directly to Indigenous communities as much as possible.