Page 2503 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 17 June 2009

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awareness of the existence of the compact, there was little awareness of its detail and almost no explicit utilisation of the document”. The consultation undertaken in the ACT for the national compact “identified that a national compact needs: a commitment to a disputes mechanism; ongoing sector and community awareness, particularly in light of staff turnover; and clear oversight mechanisms”.

We have seen in this year’s ACT budget that, while there have been no cuts to previous community sector funding levels, funds have not been increased in recognition of the increasing demand placed upon these organisations. Funding has not been increased despite the ACT government’s commitment to community inclusion and its commitment to working with the federal government on their social inclusion agenda to improve relationships with the sector and to ensure that those who need services receive them.

As mentioned in the ACTCOSS estimates hearing, the ACT community sector organisations are required to meet gender auditing requirements, human rights requirements, social compact requirements, as well as running their own programs. And these requirements come through their contracts. They also come through documents such as Raising the standard, which is about quality standards in the community sector. This is also included in funding contracts. But the organisations receive limited recognition from the government of the additional resources that are required. Nor is there recognition of additional resources to ensure the effective use of the social compact.

Returning to the specific issues that Ms Porter raises in this motion, I do acknowledge that the ACT government has worked with the federal government on their compact and I do acknowledge that the federal government is, and I quote from the government’s social inclusion website, “committed to the next phase of developing a national compact which will be progressed during 2009”. I look forward to seeing the plans for further consultation on this matter and to seeing the compact completed and rolled out across the country.

I hope that the federal government’s national compact with the not-for-profit sector, in conjunction with the ACT social compact, does strengthen partnerships with the not-for-profit sector but I also hope that both the federal and ACT governments realise that simply having a document calling for increased collaboration and respect is not sufficient in itself to maintain those partnerships. It takes resources, effort and ongoing commitment.

The ACT Greens will be supporting Ms Porter’s motion.

MR DOSZPOT (Brindabella) (5.02): I also rise in support of Ms Porter’s motion and I thank her for bringing on yet another motion. Looking again at the initiative by federal Labor, I always welcome the opportunity to discuss issues relating to social inclusion and the non-profit sector, and I thank Ms Porter for raising this issue. I also acknowledge the meeting held with the Australian non-profit sector at Parliament House in Canberra that discussed mechanisms for effective national representation of the nation’s 700,000 non-profit organisations.


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