Media Release Brumby's False Solution Unacceptable
(Download Size: ~25KB) Media Release Demise of Reconciliation Vic will cost state dearly 19 May 09(Download Size: ~23KB) Media Release THE DEATH KNELL TOLLS 14 May 09(Download Size: ~25KB)"The reception for Mr Brumby outside the conference was not so warm as ... members of Reconciliation Victoria protested against government policies that they say will force it to close its doors." The Australian
11 June 2009
DIGNIFIED VIGIL FOR RECONCILIATION VICTORIA OUTSIDE STATE ALP CONFERENCE
As it has become clear that Reconciliation Victoria will be forced to close its doors at the end of the month due to the Brumby Government's decision to inappropriately and inadequately fund the organisation, Reconciliation Victoria will hold a dignified vigil outside the Victorian State ALP Conference on Saturday Morning 13 June.
Protesters will wear black and hold signs supporting Reconciliation Victoria confronted ALP delegates as they arrived for the State Conference.
"It is a measure of Reconciliation Victoria's commitment to reconciliation and integrity that the Board chose to close rather than accept an offer by the Brumby Government which would put it in competition with Aboriginal services for resources," Reconciliation Victoria Co-Chair Vicki Clarke said today. "We know that re-badging Aboriginal money for reconciliation is against the spirit of reconciliation and is morally wrong."
"Clearly the rejected offer was merely a face-saving exercise by the Brumby Government as both the Liberal-National Coalition and the Greens have spoken publicly in support of continuing and increasing government funding for Reconciliation Victoria," she said.
"So on Saturday we are marking the passing of Reconciliation Victoria through this vigil and hoping the passing ALP delegates will voice their concerns to their party leaders."
28 May 2009
BRUMBY'S FALSE SOLUTION UNACCEPTABLE
Reconciliation Victoria's Co-Chair Vicki Clark today rejected the offer made by the government to temporarily fund the organisation. "This offer is unacceptable" she said, "to use money allocated for Aboriginal services to do the work of reconciliation will undermine the relationships Reconciliation Victoria has with the Victorian Aboriginal community. This is an offer made with the full understanding that we can do nothing but refuse it".
"The funding offered is also conditional on Reconciliation Victoria 'merging' with Stolen Generations Victoria over two years, because according to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, Richard Wynne, the organisations "do very similar work". Ms. Clarke stressed that nothing could be further from the truth. Stolen Generations Victoria aims to support Aboriginal people, while Reconciliation Victoria aims to inform, educate and activate non-Aboriginal people about our history over the last 200 years, the impact of this history on Aboriginal people and how we can move towards a better future for all Australians".
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21 May 2009
MINISTER FLIP-FLOPS ON RECONCILIATION VIC FUNDING
Media Release - The Hon. Jeanette Powell MP, Shadow Minister for Aboriginal Affairs
Aboriginal Affairs Minister Richard Wynne must provide certainty to Reconciliation Victoria about its future, Shadow Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Jeanette Powell said today.
During questioning by the Victorian Liberal Nationals Coalition at a Public Accounts and Estimates Committee (PAEC) hearing this week, Minister Wynne said he was looking at providing interim funding for Reconciliation Victoria for next year and the following year - but not at the current funding of $200,000 a year.
This bailout came after the organisation, Victoria's peak body for reconciliation, was told last week state government funding would not continue beyond June 30 this year.
19 May 2009
DEMISE OF RECONCILIATION VICTORIA WILL COST STATE DEARLY
The Brumby Government's decision, announced last week, to de-fund Reconciliation Victoria (Rec Vic) sets the State apart as the most regressive on the east coast. While New South Wales and Queensland have this year announced funding boosts to their states' peak reconciliation bodies, Rec Vic will be forced to close its office at the end of June.
In a meeting on Thursday with representatives of the Victorian Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD) and Aboriginal Affairs Victoria (AAV) the Brumby Government made it clear that, unlike other governments across Australia, they no longer consider reconciliation to be state government business. According to Rec Vic CEO Frank Hytten, "the Brumby government does not understand the full cost of such a move, thus demonstrating their lack of understanding about what Reconciliation really means for Victorians."
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14 May 2009
DEATH KNELL TOLLS FOR RECONCILIATION IN VICTORIA
In a meeting held today between representatives of the Victorian Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD), Aboriginal Affairs Victoria (AAV) and Reconciliation Victoria Inc. (Rec Vic) the Brumby Government confirmed that it will no longer resource the reconciliation movement in Victoria by de-funding the state peak body, Reconciliation Victoria Inc.
Despite the Brumby Government's public commitment last year to 'closing the gap' in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander disadvantage and health outcomes, the Brumby Government appears to be uncommitted when it comes to the difficult task of addressing cultural misunderstanding in the general population. "If we don't close the gap in our relationships we will never close the gap in health outcomes," says Rec Vic CEO, Frank Hytten.
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- 26 June 2009 - "Save Reconciliation Victoria. Victoria's Indigenous People Need Your Help!" Australian Democrats Victoria
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- 30 May 2009 - "Reconciliation Vic Defunded - What Happened To Community Engagement?" Pigs Will Fly
- 29 May 2009 - "A bridge too far?" The Age
- 27 May 2009 - "So much for reconciliation in Victoria" Alex Schlotzer
- 16 May 2009 - "Reconciliation Victoria loses state funding", The Age
- 16 May 2009 - "The end of Reconciliation Victoria",
Green Left Online - 13 May 2009 - "Sorry, state has no more money for Reconciliation Victoria", Whitehorse Leader
- 12 May 2009 - "STATE BUDGET: Reconciliation Manningham resolute despite cash cut" Manningham Leader
- 8 May 2009 - "Funding cut closes Reconciliation Victoria", Manningham Leader