Page 1552 - Week 05 - Thursday, 11 April 2013
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I ask leave to make a statement in relation to the paper.
Leave granted.
MR RATTENBURY: Firstly, in the context of this speech, I acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land we are meeting on, the Ngunnawal people. I respect their continuing culture and cherish the contribution they make to the life of our city and our region. I am pleased and proud today to stand in the Legislative Assembly, as Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, to table the ACT government response to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body’s third report to the ACT government.
The elected body was established in 2008 under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body Act 2008 to provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in the ACT with a democratically elected voice. The elected body monitors and reports on the provision of services and programs delivered by government directorates and the outcomes achieved for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in the ACT.
In May 2011, after the election of the current members of the elected body, an estimates style hearing process was held in the Assembly on 12 and 13 December. As part of that process, director-generals from across the ACT public service presented evidence supporting their respective directorates’ spending and decision making in relation to service and program delivery to members of the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. A massive amount of information was gathered, analysed and collated following the hearings.
On 16 January this year I was delighted to receive the third report in the elected body’s history, coming out of this hearings process. That report contains 24 recommendations.
I would also like to outline that, since the 2011 hearings, the elected body has finalised the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community priorities plan 2012-17, as well as developed the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body strategic plan 2012-13. Both of these documents were informed by the 2011 elected body estimates hearings and subsequent community consultations.
The elected body have framed their recommendations and report around the Council of Australian Governments “closing the gap” building blocks that underpin reforms nationally. These building blocks are early childhood, schooling, health, economic participation, healthy homes, safe communities and governance and leadership.
The ACT government is committed to closing the gap in disadvantage between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous people in our city. While many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Canberrans achieve much better life outcomes than elsewhere in Australia, we are determined to address and to measure progress in the significant areas of disadvantage where it persists in the ACT.
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