Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

With respect to those opposite, including the member interjecting, I am seeking to make a bipartisan statement about a matter which I believe the Leader of the Opposition and I have a common interest. It is not only the prosecution of the national apology, which we did on a bipartisan basis in this place, but also a program which aims at closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. I have said quite clearly before that the government, when in opposition, supported the intervention. I have said quite clearly before that the government appreciates the continued support of those opposite in this important area of endeavour. That is the spirit in which these remarks are being made.

Consistent with the commitments by the government prior to the election, the review process is underway and we look forward to receiving those findings. On the question of the apology, I think we in this place would all agree it was but the beginning, and I think all of us in this place would regard ourselves as having a common objective, which is to do whatever we practically can, through the national government and through the state and territory governments of Australia, to bring about real, measurable, demonstrable progress on closing the gap in education, literacy and numeracy, health outcomes and security outcomes for Indigenous Australians. Today I have simply reflected on the fact that it is the one-year anniversary of the intervention and on the forward measures which the government is proposing both by way of review and continued action.

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