Taxpayers sweat the cost of 'healing' trip

A supplied picture of a modern Cree sweat lodge. Source: Supplied

TAXPAYERS will fork out almost $21,000 to send a north Queensland assault victim overseas for spiritual healing on an Indian reserve.

"Indigenous Canadian" Ruth Schaefer will fly with her friend, Hope Vale Aboriginal elder Gordon Charlie, on the trip to Cree Nations Treatment Haven in Saskatchewan, Canada - with both airfares paid for by the Justice Department.

A Queensland tribunal ordered the trip, finding it "reasonable", as the treatment was only available in Canada.

It found Ms Schaefer needed an escort and at least two stopovers each way.

Ms Schaefer, who has post-traumatic stress disorder after a violent assault in 2007, went to Cree Nations in 2005 for trauma treatment in a sweat lodge and "a linking back to spiritual ancestors".

The Canadian woman, who lives in Mareeba in north Queensland, said she now needs to return to the centre for "spiritual healing".

At a Queensland Civil and Administrative hearing last month, Mr Charlie, who has known Ms Schaefer for 20 years, told QCAT that the healing programs for indigenous people in Australia were ineffective.

The Justice Department previously rejected Ms Schaefer's request for financial assistance for the trip, saying the cost was unreasonable.

On July 1, tribunal member Catherine Benson ordered Justice to pay Ms Schaefer $20,480, including $4000 for the 35-day treatment program later this month and $16,480 in airfares.

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Taxpayers sweat the cost of 'healing' trip