Links to Commonwealth Budget 2002-03: information of relevance to Indigenous health and well being

Federal Treasurer Peter Costello delivered his seventh Commonwealth Budget on Tuesday evening, 14 May 2002. The following links provide information on the Budget and its implications for Indigenous health and well being. They include statements by various ministers, and comments by peak Indigenous bodies before and after the release of the Budget.

Full Budget details
Full Commonwealth Budget details are available at the official Budget website.

Health and Ageing Portfolio Budget 2002 – 2003
2002-03 Portfolio Budget Statements for the Health and Ageing Portfolio are available on the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing website. Part C discusses the performance of individual outcomes within the Department, and includes Outcome 7: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (PDF – 194KB).

Further details regarding the Health and Ageing Portfolio Budget are available on the following web pages:

Information on the future of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) (Health fact sheet No.1: Securing the future of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) receives special attention and is accompanied by a series of answers, by Minister Kay Patterson, to questions regarding the PBS.

Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs Portfolio Budget 2002-03
2002-03 Portfolio Budget Statements (PDF – 1.5MB) for the the Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs Portfolio are available on the Department’s website.

Part C of the document includes sections on the following:

• Sound and well-coordinated policies, programs and decision making processes in relation to Indigenous affairs and reconciliation;
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission;
• Aboriginal Hostels Limited;
• Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies;
• Indigenous Business Australia;
• Indigenous Land Corporation; and
• Torres Strait Regional Authority

Indigenous Affairs statements released on May 14 include:

• Ministerial statement (PDF- 170KB)
• Budget builds on commitment to Indigenous Australians (IPS 18/2002)
• Making headway (fact sheet)
• Record of expenditure and breakdown of expenditure on Indigenous Affairs (fact sheet)

Indigenous Affairs statements by other Ministers include:

• Attorney-General: Resolving native title issues (PDF file, 23 KB)
• Employment and Workplace Relations Minister: Indigenous employment a key priority
• Education, Science and Training Minister: Continuing our commitment to Indigenous learning
• Communications, IT and the Arts Minister: Meeting the telecommunications needs of remote Indigenous communities

National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO)
Prior to the delivery of the Budget, NACCHO raised concerns regarding the impact of proposed changes to the PBS.

Short sighted approach to medicines (9 May 2002)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC)
ATSIC Chairman Geoff Clark has released a background brief outlining ‘ATSIC’s budget, its role and its capacity and responsibility to provide services’ and a statement regarding ATSIC-specific funding for the 2002-03 financial year.

ATSIC Budget background
2002-03 Budget holds the line (media release)