Page 716 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 26 February 2013
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the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community is already out in force will strengthen the mandate of the elected members to represent their community.
The bill increases to four weeks the period between the close of nominations and the start of polling. Elections ACT suggested that this increase of the campaign period for candidates would allow candidates more time to reach eligible electors. The ACT government is committed to working with Canberra’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and their elected body to achieve the goals, both individual and collective, that they hold.
I look forward to continuing the work of this government and the elected body to improve the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community’s educational, employment and business opportunities. I see the pride and enthusiasm of the next generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids, and I want to ensure that they are not held back by low expectations.
The government is entrusting the community through the elected body to advise on community-driven solutions to issues and to advise on the aspirations of the community. By working together in partnership we can ensure a better future for all Canberrans.
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) (10.45): I thank members for their contribution to the debate today and their support of the proposed bill. When the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body Act 2008 was introduced, it was the first legislation of its kind, a recognition of the importance of self-determination to strengthening and promoting our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. It was the necessary next step in the ongoing journey of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
Since the formation of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body a number of significant policies and programs have been developed. On 16 January 2013 the elected body launched their third report on the outcomes of their hearings from 2011. This document made 24 recommendations to improve the lives of local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. That report is currently being assessed by the government, and a response will be tabled in the Assembly at a later time.
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 elected body’s vision and the ACT government’s commitment to providing 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
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