Page 2508 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 17 June 2009
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community sector and government cannot achieve their individual goals without constructive working relations built on mutual understanding, respect and cooperation.
This can and should carry across to the federal arena. A national compact will help the government and the not-for-profit sector achieve their individual goals through better communication, a mutually respectful relationship and an enhanced sense of cooperation. The ACT government wants to encourage the same significant relationships nationwide so that the sector can work with government with a broader view for the community and so that the sectors can work together to give even more back to the community across Australia.
I support the vision for a nationwide social compact for an Australian community concerned with the common good as well as the rights and achievements of individuals; an Australian community that will demonstrate its values of a fair go for all and respect for cultural diversity and difference. Australia is indeed an amazing country, so let us build on this by promoting relationships and helping our national not-for-profit sector grow and be enhanced, just as the ACT government is helping our territory not-for-profit sector to succeed.
The national compact task force had their first meeting on 11 May of this year and they have started to bring together ideas to draft a compact between the federal government and the not-for-profit sector. I congratulate the national government for bringing this initiative together and I would also like to acknowledge the ACT government’s support for and input into this process. The ACT government is proud to offer ongoing support and consultation to this process in the hope that an agreement will work as successfully nationally as it does here in the ACT.
The words of ACOSS sum up, I feel, the national compact’s ideals:
ACOSS believes the new compact is a significant opportunity to develop a collaborative approach to finding the right solutions to poverty and disadvantage in Australia.
They are commendable motives, but I think it is important here to note that the not-for-profit sector covers more than just organisations with a focus on disadvantage. I understand sporting groups are probably the second largest not-for-profit sector.
The relationship between the two sectors is significant because they share many goals and values and are interdependent in many roles and functions. The community sector and government cannot achieve their individual goals without this constructive partnership. The commonwealth through their consultative processes have identified the primary benefits of a national compact as providing a framework for building an improved relationship between the not-for-profit sector and government, based on trust and collaboration and with space for robust dialogue; improving policy making through the development of a framework document that allows strategic coordination; improving the standing of the not-for-profit sector in the community by acknowledging its contribution; and providing a framework for growth and evolution of the sector, including reforms and initiatives.
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