I was born in 1955 in Wilcannia on the Darling River in NSW. I was the first born of 10Wilson kids. My dear old Mum and Dad raised us kids under the gum trees on that river. My Dad is from the Dunghutti tribe from the east coast NSW and Mum was from the Barkindji tribe, and we originated from the Lake Mungo tribe. The following are some Indigenous - Aboriginal Party of Australia policies in relation to the Parkes electorate. Energy The IAPA is totally opposed to nuclear power or the storage of nuclear waste anywhere on the continent. We are also opposed to the acquisition of nuclear submarines. The IAPA is very supportive of renewable energy and ambitious targets for the reduction of greenhouse gases. A major impetus for the formation of the IAPA was concern over the degradation of the sacred Baaka (Darling River) and all other rivers in the electorate. While over-extraction is a major cause of that sad decline in the quality of the Baaka and other rivers, man-made climate change also plays a huge part. The IAPA realises that Australia is only responsible for about 1% of global emissions produced at home but there are easily another 30 countries with similar ‘low’ emissions. Together, 30% is a considerable amount. It is important for this country to be a responsible global citizen, but furthermore, trading blocs such as the EU will soon apply tariffs on countries who are not attempting to reduce their emissions. The IAPA also believes there are considerable economic and reliability advantages for the far west from the energy decentralisation which comes with renewable energy. Inadequate infrastructure in all areas - health, telecommunications, housing, family violence prevention, youth justice, roads, housing, ‘cost of living’ and youth justice. It is obvious to the Indigenous - Aboriginal Party of Australia (IAPA) that the Electorate of Parkes has been taken for granted and neglected for decades. We fail to see how the voter’s loyalty to one political party has been rewarded in any way. We are not proud that Parkes has the highest infant mortality rate in the state, comparable to, or worse than some third world countries, or that safety and education is compromised by a totally inadequate telecommunications network. While Bob Wilson and the Indigenous - Aboriginal Party of Australia (IAPA) are ready and able to lead Parkes after the election, it is also important, in general, that the Electorate of Parkes become more marginal in its voting patterns so that government takes notice of the dire needs in the west and that governments and intending governments have to bid to attract and maintain voter loyalty. Youth crime The IAPA agrees that no one wants violent crime to occur and reducing its occurrence is a goal all Parkes residents share. However, young Aboriginal people are already unfairly overrepresented in the criminal justice system due to disadvantage which is no fault of theirs. Well-resourced programs of prevention would both protect victims of crime, and also save the lives of young offenders at a cost far less than simply punishing crimes after they have occurred. The IAPA also believes that local Indigenous communities already have the answers to youth crime through empowering parents to care better for their own children. Through a process of deep listening, governments can support and facilitate that process rather than undermining it by taking over and imposing its own, often ineffective, strategies which take responsibility and control away from parents, extended family, Elders and the Traditional Owners. Housing Safe housing is a fundamental human right and we call on the government to ensure housing equity and prioritisation for vulnerable groups, particularly Aboriginal people. We need a focus on community led solutions; listen to those most affected by the crisis and understand one solution doesn’t suit all in regional and remote towns especially. The government has the opportunity to make lasting changes to address the housing crisis. The IAPA believes public housing for Aboriginal communities should be designed in deep consultation with those communities so the housing can be adaptable to unique needs such as including Elders but also allowing them space. Any new housing plans should involve the training of community members to carry out maintenance on the housing. This would improve the pride and skills of the people but also mean repairs are carried out quicker and more cheaply. Cost of living relief - Immediate increase in the level of unemployment benefits especially for remote areas where the cost of living is so high. (This is just a stop gap measure - employment is the real solution.) - Heavily subsidized photovoltaics and battery storage for remote areas, especially on public housing, to reduce electricity bills. - Further reduction is fuel excise for remote areas where people are forced to travel huge distances for needs as simple as seeing a doctor. High fuel costs do not reduce consumption because remote residents have no other options. Roads The IAPA would like to see a revitalisation of the existing rail network to take wear and tear off roads and reduce the cost of living. Domestic violence The IAPA mostly sees domestic violence in Parkes as a by-product of poverty and the stress caused by poverty. So as well as adequate services the IAPA would like to see an increase in employment and recreational opportunities in remote areas. Water security The IAPA would like to see the encouragement and subsidy of drinking water tanks, grey water systems and other water saving measures. Connectivity The IAPA is concerned about the over-reliance on satellite technology for telecommunications because of the risk of total blackout if satellites mal-function. the IAPA would like to see some redundancy in the system with land based systems still well maintained. Health The IAPA would like to see innovative solutions to attracting doctors to the regions. One used successfully elsewhere is to provide free childcare for Doctors; something which is scarce in the cities. A local community can train and retain childcare workers a lot more easily than doctors.
