Page 264 - Week 01 - Thursday, 29 November 2012
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MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo—Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Housing, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs and Minister for Ageing) (10.40): I move:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
I am pleased today to table the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body Amendment Bill 2012 (No 2). The bill was tabled in the Legislative Assembly on 3 May 2012 and lapsed at the end of the Seventh Legislative Assembly. I now reintroduce the bill, and I would like to acknowledge the work of Dr Bourke in the previous Assembly to bring this matter forward to the Assembly. It is a matter that was raised with him and it has significant importance to the elected body.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body Act 2008 is watershed legislation, for not only the ACT but the rest of Australia. It was the important next step following our apology to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the ACT in the ongoing journey of reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
In the four years since the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body has been in existence, the elected body has achieved a number of significant milestones. The elected body was a major stakeholder and driving force in the creation of the ACT employment strategy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, which was launched in 2011. This was the crystallisation of the ACT government’s commitment to provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with the opportunity to participate fully in the ACT community through economic freedom.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body also championed the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander justice agreement, which was a landmark example of citizen-centric government and was signed by the Attorney-General and the chair of the elected body on 28 September 2010. The elected body continue to well represent the interests of their communities to the ACT government.
Following the last Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body election, held between 11 April 2011 and 18 May 2011, the Office of Multicultural, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs received feedback from stakeholders which included recommendations for the growth and improvement of the act and the election process itself.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body met with ministers on 2 August 2011 and discussed amendments to the elected body act. These amendments recommended an increase in the campaign period available for nominees for positions on the elected body.
Elected body members stated they wanted an opportunity to more fully engage with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities during the campaign period in the ACT, so that they could share their message about why they should be elected but also to listen to the message of community members on matters most important to them. We can all agree this is the essence of what true community representation is.
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