Page 3722 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 9 December 1992
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Keeping in mind the particular importance of efficient trade in energy for both consumers and the environment, the council's agreement to set in train a process to achieve its objective of free and fair trade in gas is a welcome addition to the micro-economic reform agenda. So, too, is the council's agreement to make concerted efforts to strengthen the development of an export culture in Australia, both under the umbrella of the national trade strategy and through its recognition that the development of a comprehensive Asian languages and cultures program in Australian schools is needed if we are to enhance Australia's economic interests in the Asia-Pacific region.
In past years responsibility for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs has been an issue of some tension between levels of government in Australia. With the national response to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and other developments, thankfully we seem to have turned the corner on this issue. This was highlighted on Monday when heads of government endorsed the national commitment to improved outcomes in the delivery of programs and services for Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders.
The national commitment recognises the need to address the underlying and fundamental causes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander inequality and disadvantage. It confirms that the planning and provision of government programs and services for Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders is a shared responsibility and a legitimate policy interest of all spheres of government. In this, the beginning of the United Nations Year of the World's Indigenous Peoples, the agreement symbolises the willingness of Australian heads of government to work together in a concrete and cooperative manner in a field in which up to now Australia has not distinguished itself to the extent that I am sure we would all prefer.
Housing and its relationship to other areas of government activity, especially the provision of infrastructure and planning, received careful attention in Perth. Indeed, it is interesting to see how the issues of urban renewal, social isolation and the efficient provision of community services have begun to capture the attention of all Australian leaders. For this reason, leaders agreed that the time has come to recognise the interests of all levels of government in housing and to develop national objectives for the proper integration of housing with the development of urban infrastructure and the provision of other services. Given the Government's commitment to urban renewal and the concentrated efforts we are making in this field, the ACT will be an active participant in the development of national objectives and will both learn from and contribute constructively to the process the Council of Australian Governments has put in train.
Finally, the issue of the responsibility of levels of government for the provision of concessions was discussed. Members will be conscious that this is a complex area of policy in which the responsibilities of States and Territories in providing concessions, and the role of the Commonwealth in determining eligibility for benefits which are then used for determining access to concessions, make for a difficult interplay of interests and responsibilities. Heads of government have decided to try to sort the issue out. It would be short-sighted to dismiss this as some arid review exercise. There are real problems in delivering cost-effective concessions that meet the needs of the disadvantaged in our community. If we can settle the roles of the respective levels of government in this area, then the social justice objectives of all involved can be better served.
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