Page 263 - Week 01 - Thursday, 27 February 2014
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At a meeting between cabinet and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body on 18 June 2013, it was agreed that the ACT government would develop a whole-of-government Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander agreement in partnership with the elected body. Thus, in collaboration with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities of Canberra, I am today announcing that the ACT government will develop an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander agreement, and formally launch the consultation phase of this important work.
The ACT is often acknowledged by other jurisdictions as having innovative and adaptive policy and programs. We, in the Assembly, have a level of access to our community that many of the larger states do not, which allows for more meaningful communication and collaboration with our community stakeholders. This applies to all areas of government.
One example of this is the relationship we have with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body. The elected body was created under unique legislation in 2008, and has been a key source of advice and guidance since that time. In my role as Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, I have personally had the benefit of the elected body’s frank and forthright advice in advocating for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Canberrans, and their considerable expertise in a range of policy areas. I would like today to thank them again for their insight, honesty and commitment.
The elected body have in recent times asked the ACT government to better articulate how it will progress equitable outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in the ACT, to ensure that service delivery agencies have effective strategies in place to achieve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander outcomes and meet their needs. Further, there have been calls for increased performance measurement mechanisms for programs and delivery of services to gauge and improve outcomes.
The ACT is a unique territory and we need unique responses to the issues that we face. While on many indicators the ACT is an enviable place to live, many areas of disadvantage and vulnerabilities can only ever truly be resolved with a whole-of-government, whole-of-community response.
The whole-of-government Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander agreement will be a high-level document that will incorporate a number of the deliverables outlined in relevant ACT plans and strategies, such as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander justice agreement, the proposed human services blueprint and the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tobacco control strategy for 2010-14.
For this agreement to enhance and support the positive strategies already underway in the ACT, it will focus on a limited number of actions; include clearly identifying directorates’ deliverables; and provide shorter term targets to support delivery of objectives and maintain engagement with the community. It will be what I consider a living document in that it will utilise the ongoing commitment from all parties to stay relevant, strong and meaningful, and, I hope, become a benchmark for future directorate strategies.
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