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| Australian PM criticised for remarks on remote communities | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has been criticised for suggesting that people living in Indigenous communities are making a "lifestyle choice". | Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has been criticised for suggesting that people living in Indigenous communities are making a "lifestyle choice". |
| Visiting Western Australia, Mr Abbott said the government could not "endlessly subsidise" those that don't fit in with wider Australian society. | Visiting Western Australia, Mr Abbott said the government could not "endlessly subsidise" those that don't fit in with wider Australian society. |
| He has previously said he supports the planned closure of up to 150 communities in Western Australia. | He has previously said he supports the planned closure of up to 150 communities in Western Australia. |
| Critics have called the remarks "offensive" and "inappropriate". | Critics have called the remarks "offensive" and "inappropriate". |
| It was announced in September that the federal government would transfer responsibility for funding Indigenous communities to individual states. | It was announced in September that the federal government would transfer responsibility for funding Indigenous communities to individual states. |
| Speaking to ABC Radio on a visit to Kalgoorlie on Tuesday, Mr Abbott said that Western Australia Premier Colin Barnett was right to close nearly half the state's 274 remote communities if the cost of providing services to them outweighed the benefits. | Speaking to ABC Radio on a visit to Kalgoorlie on Tuesday, Mr Abbott said that Western Australia Premier Colin Barnett was right to close nearly half the state's 274 remote communities if the cost of providing services to them outweighed the benefits. |
| "What we can't do is endlessly subsidise lifestyle choices if those lifestyle choices are not conducive to the kind of full participation in Australian society that everyone should have," Mr Abbott said. | "What we can't do is endlessly subsidise lifestyle choices if those lifestyle choices are not conducive to the kind of full participation in Australian society that everyone should have," Mr Abbott said. |
| "If people choose to live miles away from where there's a school, if people choose not to access the school of the air, if people choose to live where there's no jobs, obviously it's very, very difficult to close the gap." | "If people choose to live miles away from where there's a school, if people choose not to access the school of the air, if people choose to live where there's no jobs, obviously it's very, very difficult to close the gap." |
| He added: "Fine, by all means live in a remote location, but there's a limit to what you can expect the state to do for you if you want to live there." | He added: "Fine, by all means live in a remote location, but there's a limit to what you can expect the state to do for you if you want to live there." |
| 'Disgrace' | 'Disgrace' |
| The prime minister's choice of words would cause offence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) communities, said ATSI Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda. | The prime minister's choice of words would cause offence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) communities, said ATSI Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda. |
| "This was a poor choice of words," Mr Gooda, an Indigenous Australian who has advocated on behalf of Indigenous Australians for the past 25 years, told Australia's ABC. | "This was a poor choice of words," Mr Gooda, an Indigenous Australian who has advocated on behalf of Indigenous Australians for the past 25 years, told Australia's ABC. |
| He said Indigenous people understood there were problems with funding remote communities but they wanted to be consulted on how to solve the problem. | He said Indigenous people understood there were problems with funding remote communities but they wanted to be consulted on how to solve the problem. |
| Labor's Indigenous Affairs spokesman Shayne Neumann called the comments a "disgrace". | Labor's Indigenous Affairs spokesman Shayne Neumann called the comments a "disgrace". |
| "Here he is saying that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be evicted from the lands on which they've lived for millenia," he told ABC. | "Here he is saying that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be evicted from the lands on which they've lived for millenia," he told ABC. |
| "He really is a disgrace and he really should apologise unreservedly for these comments," he added. | "He really is a disgrace and he really should apologise unreservedly for these comments," he added. |
| Rolf de Heer, an Australian director who has made several films about Indigenous people, called Mr Abbott's comments "so inappropriate that it's laughable". | Rolf de Heer, an Australian director who has made several films about Indigenous people, called Mr Abbott's comments "so inappropriate that it's laughable". |
| De Heer told Fairfax Media: "It shows such ignorance that he has no right to be the prime minister of Australia." | De Heer told Fairfax Media: "It shows such ignorance that he has no right to be the prime minister of Australia." |
| Australia's constitution does not recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the nation's first people. | Australia's constitution does not recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the nation's first people. |
| In recent years there have been discussions about changing the constitution to recognise Indigenous people and outlaw discrimination against them. | In recent years there have been discussions about changing the constitution to recognise Indigenous people and outlaw discrimination against them. |
| Mr Abbott said in December he would "sweat blood" to secure referendum on the change. | Mr Abbott said in December he would "sweat blood" to secure referendum on the change. |
| Indigenous Australians represent about 2.5% of Australia's 24 million people. Generations of discrimination and disadvantage have left them with poor health and low levels of education and employment. | Indigenous Australians represent about 2.5% of Australia's 24 million people. Generations of discrimination and disadvantage have left them with poor health and low levels of education and employment. |