Cape York Partnerships founder and activist Noel Pearson has called on the government to intervene in a resurgence of alcoholism in Indigenous communities.

Mr Pearson told Scott Emerson alcohol has had a “tragic impact” on Indigenous communities, and “handouts” like JobSeeker payments are exacerbating the problem.

Ever since the strictest lockdown measures were lifted, he said, “children are going hungry once again … the binge drinking has increased, the quality of life has gone down.”

“If people who are suffering from alcohol addiction are given more free money, then the problem that you’re trying to tackle here unfortunately gets worse.

“I think that the federal government’s got to do something about this.”

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Image: Cape York Partnerships