Page 268 - Week 01 - Thursday, 14 February 2019
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That the Assembly take note of the following paper:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body Act, pursuant to subsection 10B(3)—ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body—Report on the outcomes of the ATSIEB Hearings 2018—Eighth Report to the ACT Government.
MS STEPHEN-SMITH (Kurrajong—Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Minister for Disability, Minister for Children, Youth and Families, Minister for Employment and Workplace Safety, Minister for Government Services and Procurement, Minister for Urban Renewal) (3.16): I am pleased that the Manager of Government Business tabled today the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body report on the outcomes of its hearings for 2018. I welcome this report, the eighth report prepared by the elected body.
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. An important part of this role is the opportunity for elected body members to ask questions of officers from ACT government directorates and agencies in formal hearings. These are modelled on the estimates processes of the ACT Legislative Assembly and the commonwealth Senate.
The elected body hearings have proved to be a successful method of interaction between the government and the community. The hearings result in a body of advice that informs improvements to service delivery and policy development, leading to better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. As the elected body chair says in the report:
What we are looking for is tangible and measurable outcomes supported by evidence-based solutions which in turn change the day-to-day lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for the better.
I echo the comments made by the chair that, in order to achieve better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Canberrans, it is critical that relevant programs, services, policies, and reforms be designed and implemented in genuine partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their representative bodies and organisations. The elected body public hearings are an opportunity to explore better ways to co-design and build on successful programs that are delivering tangible incomes in the community.
The report contains seven whole-of-government recommendations and 24 recommendations for specific directorates. The ACT government is considering these recommendations as it continues to demonstrate its commitment to achieving equitable outcomes and opportunities and building an empowered, resilient, and sustainable future for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the ACT.
The 2018-19 budget, for example, committed to more support for family group conferencing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families at risk of involvement
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