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Federal Government trashes Redfern Employment Program

As we have been reporting, the Redfern Community Employment Development Program faces the axe by July this year because the Federal Government is convinced that the CEDP is not an appropriate way of putting Aboriginal people into full-time employment reports Trevor Davies in Have You Heard? in the South Sydney Herald of March 2007.

This in spite of the former minister, Kevin Andrews, putting out a press release on October 20, 2006 saying that the CEDP program is fantastic. This is a program which has been working since 1977 but, all of a sudden the CEDP is to be ended an Aboriginal employment mainstreamed. The Lord Mayor of Sydney, Redfern Residents for Reconciliation and the Federal Member Tanya Plibersek, as well as others lobbied the feds intensively. Tanya spoke in the adjournment debate in the house, arguing passionately for Redfern CEDP. Then Redfern CEDP met with Liberal Senator and Chippendale resident, Marise Payne, in her parliamentary office in Sydney. All the good people from Redfern wanted was some flexibility. The changes that were proposed may suit some people but were not all. They were asking for flexibility - exactly what the Howard Government is arguing for in industrial relations but apparently not in Aboriginal employment. As we go to press, the Redfern CEDP people are working out the implications, but the word is that CEDP could be ended in June. They have been encouraged to bid for the new employment program but have no certainty of getting the funding.

Source: South Sydney Herald March 2007