The Government is missing yet another opportunity to take a new approach in the Northern Territory, the Australian Greens say.

“Extending ineffective measures is a waste of money,” Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Issues said today.

“Punishing parents by cutting income support flies in the face of existing knowledge and opinion, including that of the Government’s own departments.

“We know that programs such as the School Enrolment and Attendance through Welfare Reform Measure (SEAM) have had mixed results at best and cannot be linked to better education outcomes in communities.

“Consistently better outcomes are delivered when the primary policies focus on engagement between parents and schools. 

“Despite this, money is still being funnelled into truancy measures which alienate people and take an old-fashioned, punitive approach. This approach, aimed at punishing parents does not build the trust or partnerships that are needed.

“The Government continues to act in a way contrary to the evidence the opinions of experts and the community. This is precisely why we’ve seen more than $1.5 billion spent on the intervention, without seeing the necessary improvements.

“The Greens have strongly and consistently stood up to the Government over the issue of the NT Intervention. I have serious doubts about extending a program which is already operating and returning underwhelming results,” Senator Siewert concluded.