Yarrabah protests CDEP scrapping

Saturday, April 25, 2009 - 10:00

CAIRNS— Residents of the Indigenous community at Yarrabah held a public meeting on April 22 to discuss the Rudd government's proposal to scrap the Community Development Employment Program (CDEP) on July 1.

This follows big changes made to CDEP by the Howard government in its last term. CDEP employs about 400 people in the community.

Callers to the local Indigenous radio station have criticised CDEP for largely failing to provide full-time jobs. Nevertheless, the scheme is acknowledged to provide work in Indigenous communities.

Yarrabah community members planned a petition in support of the continuation of CDEP and protests in Cairns and Canberra.

From GLW issue 792

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In these days of growing media concentration, Green Left Weekly is a proudly independent voice committed to human and civil rights, global peace and environmental sustainability, democracy and equality. By printing the news and ideas the mainstream media won't, Green Left Weekly exposes the lies and distortions of the power brokers and helps us to better understand the world around us.

Green Left Weekly, launched in 1990 by progressive activists to present the views excluded by the big business media, is now Australia's leading source of local, national and international news, analysis, and discussion and debate to strengthen the anti-capitalist movements.