March 26, 2015
Federal Attorney-General George Brandis has back-tracked on plans to cut funding to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services and community legal centres.
The proposed cuts, which had attracted wide criticism, were included in the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) 2013 and had been due to take effect on July 1.
“The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services are a crucial component of the legal assistance landscape,” National Association of Community Legal Centres chairperson Michael Smith said.
“Australia can’t demonstrate true commitment to dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities without these services that help resolve the unacceptable overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the criminal justice system, as highlighted in the recent Close the Gap Progress and Priorities Report.”
However, Mr Smith said there was still more to be done.
“There is still some way to go to ensure that the most vulnerable in our communities are not turned away from receiving legal services,” he said.
“This can be achieved by all levels of government committing to a real partnership to provide the additional $200 million to legal assistance services in Australia, as recommended by the Productivity Commission’s Access to Justice Report.”
