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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 7 Hansard (6 June) . . Page.. 2042 ..

MR SMYTH (continuing):

The first is that we establish a primary health care approach and that we get it right-right from the start-the second, that we strengthen community and early intervention because we know that is far more effective than cure and rehabilitation; and, third, that we strengthen community control through empowerment, allowing the community to take control and giving them the resources, because they can do it better.

The fourth principle is that we have culturally appropriate health services that address their needs. The Medical Journal of Australia of 18 March this year, reporting on a recent survey, said that studies of Aboriginal health problems are difficult for a variety of reasons. During the first week of the survey, 40 people were asked by health workers if they would take part in it, and 35 of them declined. Of the five who agreed, all had scored indicating either hazardous or extreme and harmful use of alcohol. The article comments:

The low participation rate was attributed to a number of factors, but primarily the reluctance of patients to answer questions about their use of alcohol, particularly when asked by other Aboriginal people whom they knew. This reluctance also extended to non-Aboriginal staff with whom patients had ongoing contact.

So, we have to make sure that we get our approaches right.

The fifth principle of the health plan is the appropriate and relevant distribution of resources, so that there will be the resources at the coalface to carry out the job. The sixth is to recognise the role of indigenous health care workers-to boost them, train them, tell them they are doing a good job and support them in what it is that they do. The seventh is to improve data collection and evaluation. Unless we know with accuracy what we are doing, we could potentially waste money, in that it might not be being used as effectively as it could be.

A number of programs were funded in the last budget across a range of things, whether it be housing or, for instance, the Aboriginal midwife access program, which got $74,000 over 18 months, or sexual assault services-the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre received $85,000 for a service to deal with sexual assault in indigenous communities because that has to be approached in a sensitive way. Scholarships were funded. The indigenous home and community care service received money. We also wanted to improve access to mainstream services, so there is $250,000 a year to progress the priorities that I have already spoken about in the regional health plan.

This is about breaking down the barriers that exist between sectors, so that mental health talks to drug and alcohol talks to accident and emergency talks to mainstream talks to housing talks to job creation. Then we get co-ordination, we get sensitivity to their needs and we come up with solutions that break the cycle and address the long term. That is how we will achieve significant results in the future. It is also about being culturally aware. That is why, back in 1999, we announced that Yarramundi had been chosen for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Centre.

But more work needs to be done, Mr Deputy Speaker. When the issue of youth homelessness came up during the term of the last government, we got the leaders in the area-Bill Stefaniak, as youth affairs minister, Michael Moore, as health minister and me, as housing minister-to come together. We said it was not just a housing problem; it

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