Warren Snowdon MP

Warren Snowdon MP

Warren Snowdon MP
Federal Member Lingiari

Shadow Assistant Minister For:
Indigenous Health
Northern Australia
External Territories
The Centenary of ANZAC

T: 1300 301 725
Email: warren.snowdon.mp@aph.gov.au

Warren Snowdon MP
Alice Springs Office
Unit 3/12 Gregory Tce
Alice Springs
Ph: (08) 8952 9696

Coolalinga Office
Shop 12
465 Stuart Hwy
Coolalinga, NT 0835
Ph: (08) 8983 3129

Katherine Office
Mb: 0488 291 423

Canberra
R1, 29 Parliament House
Canberra, ACT 2600
Ph: (02) 6277 4081

Open in Google Maps
  • ABOUT
  • LINGIARI
  • MEDIA
  • POLICY
  • CONTACT US
Thursday, 30 March 2017 / Published in LOCAL MEDIA, MEDIA RELEASES, NATIONAL MEDIA

FUNDING CUT A RISK TO THE TACKLING SMOKING PROGRAMME

Labor condemns the confirmation today that funding to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander anti-smoking programs has a cut of $8.8 million over the next financial year.

 

The Turnbull government had committed $44 million in the 2015-2016 Budget for 2017-2018 to the Tackling Indigenous Smoking Programme – today’s announcement of $35.2 confirms the cut.

 

It is good that there is a commitment to address Indigenous smoking but this announcement does not go far enough.

 

The question is, where has the money gone?

 

This cut is in addition to the $130 million cut which was taken from the programme in the devastating 2014-15 Abbott/Hockey budget.

 

Despite the Government’s acknowledgment that smoking causes the greatest burden of disease, disability, injury and early death among Indigenous people and accounts for 23 per cent of the health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians they have cut funding from this essential programme to tackle smoking.

 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are 2.5 times as likely to smoke as other Australians. We simply cannot afford to cut funding from culturally specific preventative programmes that have been proven to work.

 

“Aboriginal and Community Controlled Health Organisations do great work in preventing smoking and encouraging smokers to quit, but more needs to be done. And it appears now they are expected to do more with less,” Mr Snowdon said.

 

“We now know that we will certainly not meet the 2018 COAG target to halve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smoking rates. Our only chance in reaching the target is through this Government’s concerted effort to safeguard the dedicated funding that was in place.”

 

Smoking is the leading and most preventable cause of illness and early death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, but instead the Turnbull government is tackling smoking with less funding.

What you can read next

Indigenous Health Minister holds Indigenous health forum in Ipswich to mark NAIDOC week
RECONCILIATION WEEK
Labor delivering on remote boarding schools for young Indigenous Territorians

FILTER BY TYPE:

  • MEDIA
    • NATIONAL MEDIA

FILTER BY YEAR:

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2015 2016

 © 2020 Warren Snowdon MP

Noise Birds

TOP