Tony Abbott has decided that filming people committing crimes is preferable to wasting money on early intervention crime prevention so he has stripped funding from hundreds of community and charity programs. If you live in Western Sydney you will get some cameras…eventually….when we are finished announcing them… again and again and again. Unfortunately for those of you in leftie South Australia…you get nothing!
You always know politicians are desperate when they start talking about CCTV cameras on street corners. It usually happens towards the end of election campaigns, but on Friday Tony Abbott reached for this most micro of populist issues at the end of a week that left his macro budget sales pitch in tatters.
Making a law-and-order pitch, Abbott visited Campbelltown to highlight the allocation of $20m over the next 12 months to install new CCTV cameras and fund other safety projects around Australia.
He said the program – funded by seized proceeds of crime – was “an important element in our budget”.
Experts and welfare groups have argued, correctly, I fear, that the changes to the youth welfare system could lead to a spike in the crime rate. Young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are already 28 times more likely to be in youth detention than other Australians. And when the cuts to Aboriginal Legal Services are added to this mix, the multiplier effect means this crisis risks becoming a catastrophe.
The Government has outlined more than $500 million in cuts to Indigenous programs, including health, but it’s not yet clear exactly where those cuts will fall.
Indigenous legal and health services are concerned that direct budget cuts will affect frontline services and there’s uncertainty over the future of 28 Indigenous children and family centres across the country.
Giving young unemployed people access to the dole for only six months of the year could lead to an increase in crime and poorer working conditions, welfare groups have warned.
The undeniable data-based fact is that early intervention social programs deliver better bang-for-buck than just about any other form of public spending.
We know that well-run NGO programs for at-risk youth drive down rates of criminal behaviour, incarceration, mental illness, social dislocation, and future unemployment.
And we know these social ills, if allowed to fester and bloom, end up costing us all billions upon billions of dollars.
The Household Organisational Management Expenses (HOME) Advice program, which has existed as a pilot since 2002, costs only around $3,000 on average to prevent a family falling into homelessness. This compares to an average of $43,000 the taxpayer has to stump up if a family becomes homeless. By not expanding a successful program from its eight pilot locations, the Commonwealth Government has actually lost millions in tax revenue.
For about $100 million per year, the Australian government could have funded the HOME Advice program to work with 33,000 families.
So if the economic case is so black-and-white, why then are governments not tripping over themselves to fund programs like Functional Family Therapy in every prison in Australia?
Mostly because the economic benefit of social policy takes a long time to be seen. Half of the benefit of Functional Family Therapy, for example, is seen 10 years after the program is funded. Modern politicians, locked into an electoral cycle perspective, find it tough to embrace a program that will slowly start to reveal its results in a decade’s time.
18 February 2014
Attorney General John Rau has called upon Prime Minister Tony Abbott to reinstate more than $2million in crime prevention funding for South Australian local communities.
The cuts also mean that a $490,000 rollout of CCTV, plus better lighting and signage around the Adelaide Oval and Riverbank Precinct will not proceed.
The leader of an early intervention program for vulnerable youths is seeking legal advice to save the project from closing down, after the Abbott government backed away from distributing crucial grant money promised by the former Labor government.
More than 2000 teenagers have come through Operation Newstart since it was established in 1997 for children aged 14 to 16 who routinely skip school or who have trouble with the law, drugs and alcohol, and who are often victims of abuse.
A spokesperson for the Minister for Justice said ”Under this plan, $50 million will be provided to communities to allow them to deliver effective local solutions to crime and antisocial behaviour by installing measures such as CCTV and better lighting.”
The Abbott government has backed away from distributing millions of dollars in grants promised to dozens of charities, community groups and local councils under Labor’s national crime prevention program.
Father Riley hit out at the Coalition’s decision, pointing out that national crime prevention grants were funded through the proceeds of crime rather than general revenue and were not election promises.
”I don’t understand this, the proceeds of crime is not taxpayer money,” Father Riley said.
The biggest loser is the Police Citizens Youth Club, which has been warned the $7 million it was promised is ”on hold and unlikely to be delivered”, according to an insider.
The money was earmarked to provide youth mentoring programs in disadvantaged areas, including the ”Making Men” and ”Girl’s Choice” projects to steer young people away from a life of crime.
One group that was warned not to spend on the assumption that agreements were valid is the Women in Prison Advocacy Network, which was promised $297,000 to start a youth mentoring program in inner-city Sydney and the La Perouse and Maroubra areas
The National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy had secured a total of $600,000 for programs for indigenous youth in Sydney and Dubbo but was warned the money was under review.
Mission Australia, which had been promised nearly $500,000, said it ”remains optimistic”.
28 August 2013
CRIME prevention in Parramatta is the focus of both Labor and Coalition sides in the lead-up to the September 7 election.
Liberal candidate Martin Zaiter announced last week that a Coalition government would give $1 million for Parramatta Council to install CCTV cameras in the CBD and the suburbs.
The Liberal announcement follows on from Labor MP Julie Owens’ similar commitment last week.
The Labor promise was for a $1 million package comprising CCTV cameras and various youth crime prevention programs.
Ms Owens said that money “would be there” regardless of the election outcome.
Mr Keenan said a Coalition government would work on the basis of its $1 million commitment.
21 August 2013
Coachmans Park at St Marys was the backdrop for the Coalition’s plans for crime prevention equipment.
Opposition spokesman for communications Malcolm Turnbull, Opposition spokesman for indigenous development Senator Marise Payne, Penrith Council mayor Mark Davies and Liberal Lindsay candidate Fiona Scott were involved in the announcement.
A total of $300,000 in funding for CCTV cameras has been promised by the Coalition if elected, to be installed at Queen St and in High St and Station St, Penrith.
20 August 2013
Tony Abbott visits the Liverpool CBD to promise $300,000 for CCTV cameras.
AN ABBOTT government would reinstate a Howard government program that funded CCTV cameras in crime hotspots around the country.
Announcing the $50 million policy at Leumeah train station on Saturday, the Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, said the program would give local governments the tools they need to tackle street crime.
”We will restore the $50 million-plus that’s been cut … that was going to crime prevention programs. That money will be available for councils to apply so they can get better lighting and things like CCTV,” he said.
Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says a Coalition government will spend $50 million over four years installing CCTV cameras if it wins office.
Ok we get it. Enough with the cameras already! What this boils down to is the government have decided that their bottom line should benefit from the proceeds of crime rather than investing the money in preventing future crime because let’s face it, the way Tony’s going, it won’t be his problem. Are we all just collateral damage? How many are to be sacrificed for “the economy”? Will we have no planning for the future beyond “let’s fiddle the numbers to make us look like we are reducing the deficit”?
Good old Laura Norder.
Lock up the trouble-makers. If you’re not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to fear.
Not only are end of election campaign CCTV cameras being rolled out this early in the term, Abbott has gone back to electioneering stunts, donning lab coats, making inane statements like: “Is the virus put into the cell or the cell put into the virus?” And pointing into the sky looking like he’s giving some great insight to the audience around him who stand in awe, slack jawed and wide eyed, at his awesomeness.
Nothing anyone says that denigrates this man gets near to just how bad he really is, not just as a politician, leader of the country, but as a human being.
With privatised prisons, how do you grow your business?
We can’t be having these lefty, feelgood crime prevention programs, Kaye. That would be interferring with the profit potential of the corporations who run some of our prisons. It is their right, as the right would say, to make a fortune unfettered. Public safety would be served more by preventing the crimes from occurring rather than capturing them on film. The corrections industry would find that the opposite is true.
Good point Totaram and Sue. My mind hadn’t taken that next step and whilst I am sure you are on to something, I am not sure I thank you for giving me yet another thing to be angry and cynical about.
ME, we will see a great increase in the stunts. What we will not see, is the one we are all waiting for. His annual visit to the Aborigine reserves in the north.
They will become more bizarre as time went on. I love his outing today in A. that premier has to hide hs face behind Abbott’s head. Not question on roads. By the way, the premier let it known, the propose road is still in the early planning stage.
Remember this anyone?
Maybe they are going to be needed if one under thirty has to wait six months before getting any dole. I assume they will not even have the option of working for the dole.
I believe many of those under thirty will have young families, Who will be feeding the kids.
“There’s less money to be spent on building houses, homes for people who don’t have them, for women and children escaping violence, for people who are living on the street,” she said.
“There’s $44 million less because of Tony Abbott cutting this funding.”
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-30/kevin-andrews-homeless-funding-extended-115m/5354654
rossleighbrisbane I had not read your piece before. I thought I was being a bit cynical with my comment but sadly, perhaps not.
CCTV? Why just put em up leave em; do a bita maintenance; no long term funding needed – brilliant. (celebratory fireworks; sprinkling stars; boozy party; save some cash; and take a bow)
Meanwhile we can screw those bludger criminals; ignore the indigenous wingers; fill up the prisons; put moneyless kids on the street; and shaft the weak kneed homeless ingrates at the same time.
God I’m the prefect image of moral rectitude.
This guy is one sick mother…..
It seems like they really want a feedback loop of shredding the safety net to increase poverty based crime, which can be responded to with draconian legislation. The increase in demand for prison facilities can be filled by the private sector, a lucrative market for contracts and kickbacks.
The most disgusting thing is that the worst of these facilities for the worst criminal offenders offer better conditions than the facilities in which we indefinitely lock up asylum seekers, including unaccompanied children as young as ten.
The leaders of the current administration are socially malevolent pondscum.
How does this poor excuse for a human being sleep at night?
The cynicism being expressed about fortunes being made from the privatisation of prisons may be closer to the mark than the bloggers think.
Some of George W Bush’s minions made their millions/billions via this route.
There was a recent case in the United States where there was criminal collusion between a judge and the managers of a private juvenile detention centre. Juveniles were given absurdly long sentences for trivial misdemeanors, and some were incarcerated for years without trial. Investigations resulted resulted in the criminal conviction of some of those involved, but underlying dangers of the corruption of a justice system when people are imprisoned for profit have not been addressed.
Trees, this old crow is well aware how close to the mark some of the comments are, it’s not a hard mark to see.
Australia has a higher proportion of prisoners in privately run jails than any other nation in the world thanks to its asylum seeker policy, a report says.
It says the population in Australia’s privately run prisons has increased 95 per cent in the past 15 years.
Australia has the most detainees in profit-driven facilities because its detention centres for asylum seekers are run by private companies, the report says.
A criminologist at the University of Canberra, Lorana Bartels, said historically the main criticism against privately run facilities was that they focused on maximising profits.
One of the more controversial cases in Australia involving private contractors was the death of an Aboriginal elder in Western Australia who died in January 2008, after being transported hundreds of kilometres by a private prisoner transport company.
“Some questioned whether this would have happened if it was a government-run prisoner transport van,” she said.
Fairfax Media reported in April that private security company Serco’s contracts with the government had blown out by $1.5 billion, as Australia’s border protection system became strained because of increased flows of asylum seekers.
It was reported one Serco contract, for running Australia’s detention centres, was originally valued at $279 million in 2009. Three amendments later, it was worth $1.67 billion. A contract for residential housing and immigration transit services grew from $44 million in 2009 to $195.4 million this year.
Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/asylum-seeker-policy-sends-population-of-private-jails-soaring-20130907-2tbzy.html#ixzz32feEi2AF
I guess since we are running out of asylum seekers we have to find some domestic fodder to keep Serco’s billions flowing in. And what are the “newly refurbished” centres on Manus and Nauru and Christmas Island going to be used for since we are sending asylum seekers to Cambodia? I suppose we just abandon them to become local housing?
This is all such madness. Everything is back to front. If we processed asylum seekers onshore in government run facilities we would save billions, it would be more humane, and it would provide employment for the people running the centre and all the support industries would benefit. Instead we pay billions to private companies, treat the refugees abominably, provide employment and economic stimulus in other countries, and then bribe them with hundreds of millions more for the privilege, helping no-one except corrupt officials and private security firms.
android tony at it again and dare I repeat myself WHAT ABOUT TH HOMELESS……he should put his flash pollies out there like I to feed them and see how it really is we are not a third world county yet abbott….but you are leading us there
Thanks for the info, Kaye. Your output and it’s quality are incredible.
May well Abbott need those CCTV cameras after pushing the poor into even poorer situations such that they need to steal to survive……. THEN he may even discover that it’s a lot cheaper to pay the poor social security than housing them in jails…….
Stephen Tardrew:
You’re forgetting those irritating, ill-mannered uni students! How DARE they….!!!??!??!?
Danger for Abbott is that the CCTV cameras will reveal the horde that will take to the streets, because of homeless. Families living in cars. Yes, those under 30 also have families.
I am glad to see that question asked of Hockey, by the nurse last week last week is getting full air time on their trailer for this weeks show. Also shown is the look of annoyance on Hockey’s face, when being asked.
At last, the father of one of the seven killed last night in the USA has come out with a strong plea, and blaming those responsible for his death. Yes, the riffle lobby and politicians. He screamed to the nation, m y sons right to life, over rides the right to bear arms. Maybe they are awaking from their slumber when it comes to guns. One can only hope. One has to feel sorry for the shooters family as well. Maybe even for the sooters.
It is the politicians and the rifle party, along with the Tea Party that allows this to happen.
Maybe it is time for us, to campaign for stronger gun lawks in this country. They are being gradually weakened since Howard’s feeble attempt to pout some restraints on guns.
Abbott is correct, the budget will be eventually passed., What is also certain, it will not be the one he has just produced. Too many holes in it. Budgets are always passed. They are never passed in full or without amendments.
Well at least one needs majority in both houses for that to occur. PMN always go to far, when that occurs. That is how we got WorkChoices. The voter rarely give any PM that power.
Have to be, or people do not get paid.
The question to ask, will he be the PM that gets it through.
Mr Abbott set the precedence, that he would and could oppose everything, that was not presented, as promised during the election campaign. Yes, :Labor, according to Abbott’s precedence has the right to reject all in this budget.