Last night’s budget shows where on the priority list Aboriginal peoples are. Prime Minister Albanese is pursuing popular votes for the upcoming election, rather than showing leadership on the issues that affect us, and for the generations to come. It is clear that our people’s vote doesn’t matter, so the federal budget has remained largely silent on the issues that impact Aboriginal peoples in Victoria.

With only four of the 19 National Agreement Closing the Gap targets on track to being achieved by their deadline, the Federal Government’s 2025-26 Budget is further proof of its negligence towards the wellbeing and safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, particularly women and children.

In Victoria, while the Allan Labor Government boasted about its tough new bail laws, the Productivity Commission reported that Victoria was on track to meet targets 10 and 11 relating to incarceration of adults and young people. We anticipate however as these new bail laws come into effect today, the numbers of Aboriginal people on remand will increase dramatically. VALS’ core funding, as confirmed by the National Access to Justice Partnership will not meet this increased community need for legal assistance.

Victoria has the highest rates of Aboriginal children being removed from their families in the country. Prioritising the safety of children and young people means investing in Aboriginal-led early intervention, preventative, community-based services and programs that actually work in supporting children and their families as well as addressing offending behaviour early. This is how our children can be set up for the best possible chance in life.

Across all jurisdictions, we are seeing regressive policies being implemented that go directly against the rhetoric of safety of children and young people, and show no regard for Aboriginal peoples’ lives.

The recent Senate Inquiry into Australia’s Youth Justice and Incarceration System provides further proof that Federal Government are choosing not to invest in alternative support models for children and young people.

The national crisis of violence against women continues, while we commend the government’s investment in services for Aboriginal women and children, we call for Victorian ACCOs delivering specialist family violence supports, including legal assistance to receive a proportionate allocation of this investment. We are gravely concerned around the rates of misidentification of Aboriginal women as the user of violence. VALS supports Aboriginal women experiencing family violence through many of our legal and non-legal service offerings including our Criminal Law, Aboriginal Families, and our Civil and Human Rights Practice alongside our Baggarrook Transitional Housing support program.

It speaks volumes where a government invests almost 200 per cent more in schemes to support home ownership than they do in providing public and social housing. We need a government that doesn’t prioritise individual wealth over the basic human right of having a home, for all Australians. Baggarrook supports Aboriginal women leaving prison, all our clients to date have experienced family violence. We have been calling to expand this program for men and young people too so we can support our community return to their families, and connect with their culture in a supported environment.

Lastly, we acknowledge the investment in Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and the benefits this will provide, we are deeply troubled that our calls to ensure that anyone who is incarcerated has access to the PBS and Medicare, has again been ignored. Numerous coronial inquests have highlighted the need for equivalency of healthcare in prisons and this budget represents yet another missed opportunity to work towards mitigating preventable harm while in custody.

Quotes Attributable to Nerita Waight, CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service:
“For the Prime Minister to come out in support of the new bail laws in Victoria is a new low. Incarceration numbers will only increase, no government can sit back and make spineless commitments to close the gap whilst also supporting laws that we know will discriminate against Aboriginal people, and has removed incarceration as a last resort, a protected human right for children.”

“Everyone has a right to a safe and accessible home, the government’s focus on home ownership shows a complete disregard for their duty to provide public and social housing.”

“Last night’s budget leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to investing in measures that will help us reach Closing the Gap targets. We will continue to hold governments to account when they pay lip service to Aboriginal self-determination. This Federal Budget isn’t even worthy of a glance by Victorian Aboriginal Communities.”