The LNP has called on the Palaszczuk Labor Government to set and measure key performance indicators for taxpayer-funded indigenous programs aimed at Closing the Gap in Queensland.
A new report by The Centre for Independent Studies* has revealed that despite costing millions of dollars, less than 10 per cent of State Government Aboriginal and Torres Islander programs were evaluated to show
if they worked or not.
Shadow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Minister Fiona Simpson, who questioned Minister Curtis Pitt at budget estimates about the lack of performance measures, said the report highlighted the lack of government transparency and accountability.
“By failing to put a spotlight on what does and doesn’t work with government funded programs, and then fixing them, the Palaszczuk Labor Government is failing some of Queensland’s most disadvantaged people,” Ms Simpson said.
“The Queensland Government spends more than $500 million on programs to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and Curtis Pitt must put in place meaningful performance measures to ensure the
programs are working.
“We need programs that get runs on the board to help our most vulnerable Queenslanders, not just tick policy boxes.”
*The Mapping the Indigenous program and funding maze, report by Sara Hudson:
Total spending on Indigenous programs is estimated to be at least $5.9 billion a year, comprised of Federal Government expenditure of $3.28 billion, State and Territory Government expenditure of $2.35 billion, and
Indigenous not-for-profit sector own source income of $224 million. Total value of grants awarded to Queensland ($934 million total funding) was the highest of all the States and Territories.
Report is available at https://www.cis.org.au/app/uploads/2016/08/rr18.pdf
