As the majority of the Rudd Labor Government's programs either end in disaster (Ceiling Insulation, Green Loans, Fuel Watch, Grocery Watch, Employee Share Schemes, Rudd Bank) or massively over budget (Solar Panel Program, Laptops in Schools, Julia Gillard Memorial Halls) the question has to be asked, what will it take for this errant Government to learn? Perhaps the example of the Army might help.
There is no starker contrast of the capability of the Army compared to the incompetence of the Labor Government than that of the building of Indigenous Housing. A comparison of what Minister Macklin's office in partnership with the Northern Territory Government has achieved compared to the Australian Army, stretched on all fronts with operations in Afghanistan, Timor Leste and the Solomons, is telling.
Under Mr Rudd's promise to close the gap in living standards between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians, the Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program (SIHIP) that began mid 2007 was ramped up as the funding and delivery vehicle.
The SIHIP was meant to deliver 750 new houses by 2013 using predominantly Commonwealth funding of $672m.
By 30 Jun 2009, almost two years after the program commenced, the Minister admitted that $45.54m had been spent, comprising $7.6m in capital costs, $20.18m in one-off establishment costs and scoping, and $17.76m for program management.
The Program was three months behind schedule, too costly and was managed by six layers of bureaucracy. While refurbishments had been completed in the Tiwi Islands and houses were under construction at Groote Eylandt, no houses had been completed.
Not a single house after two years and $45.54m spent. The ABC reported on 8th February this year that finally two houses had been completed, after two and a half years and undoubtedly after many more millions of dollars spent.
Let's compare Minister Macklin's performance to that of the Australian Army.
Since 1997 the Australian Army has been visiting remote communities across the nation as part of the Army Aboriginal Community Assistance Program (AACAP).
Each AACAP project "has a construction component, a health component and a training component. The construction component focuses on the provision of environmental health infrastructure such as housing, water, sewerage and electrical services as well as improving access to primary health care facilities by constructing or upgrading roads and airfields. The health component focuses on augmenting existing community medical, dental and veterinary programs. The training component focuses on specific skills required within the community and includes courses on construction and building maintenance, vehicle and small engine maintenance, welding, concreting and cooking".
Citing just one example, in 2007 with a budget of just $5.375 million in addition to the Defence Force contribution of personnel and equipment, the Army provided the community of Doomadgee with the following:
- Four three bedroom houses constructed and handed over to locals.
- Eight more houses constructed by civilian contractors and handed over to locals.
- Town ablution block constructed and handed over to locals.
- A sub-division completed with sealed roads.
- $60,000 of dental treatment and $670,000 worth of training courses for locals in areas ranging from literacy and numeracy to alcohol and drug awareness.
An Army Major commanding the 21st Construction Squadron and some civilian contractors built 12 houses, an ablution block, subdivided land and delivered medical services and training, all in four months for around $5m. Minister Macklin took two years and $45m and failed to deliver a single house and then a further seven months and millions more to deliver two houses.
That's a disgrace!
In 2010 the Army through AACAP will operate in Pukatja in South Australia. The program is expected to complete a number of infrastructure projects, including the construction of a 14-kilometre water pipeline and road maintenance. It will also deliver a range of health and training initiatives.
I suggest Minister Macklin get to Pukatja to see how real professionals get about and build Infrastructure with little fuss, minimum cost and maximum benefit.
Perhaps Minister Macklin could also join the ADF Parliamentary Program to get a feel for how things are properly done despite the Labor Government intending to rip $20 billion, over ten years, out of Defence.
The message from this sorry saga is that if you want something done, don't give it to Labor Politicians.