Ken Wyatt (Hasluck, Liberal Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Hansard source

Yesterday was an important day, as we reach the end of the original Closing the Gap frameworks, and I'm pleased to see that my colleague from across the chamber, the Hon. Warren Snowdon, is with us this morning. I know that he and I often agree on many things but sometimes when we make speeches he has points of difference.

Tom Calma, 12 years ago, instigated the work that was implemented by the Rudd Labor government in establishing a set of targets to address Indigenous disadvantage in Australia. While they were established with good intentions, the government of the day failed to acknowledge the critical role that Indigenous Australians themselves play in closing the gap. As the Prime Minister stated yesterday:

Over decades our top-down government-knows-best approach has not delivered the improvements we all yearn for.

For far too long, governments of all persuasions have done things to Indigenous Australians and not with them. It's not the time to play politics on this issue. A bipartisan approach will be significant if we are to change the future for Indigenous Australians. Now is the time to lead, to recognise our collective failings and to reach out to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, to work with them, to walk with them, to listen to them and to welcome them to the table so that together we can realise what we all aspire to—that is, equity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

I am heartened by the gains in early childhood education, with a 95 per cent achievement level, and, more importantly, the gains in secondary pathways, year 12 attainment, that lead to real jobs. I do acknowledge that progress has been slow in other areas. The past 10 years have not delivered the results they should have, and there is no shying away from the responsibility we share to get the next 10 right, and the 10 after that. This demonstrates the need to adopt a new approach to closing the gap. Key to this is shared accountability and shared responsibility. Governments, Indigenous Australians and their communities and organisations need to come together. The Morrison government is committed to working with Indigenous Australians to optimise outcomes over the life course, and we have issued a call to all governments to continue to work together on national priorities for collective action and supporting local communities to set their own priorities and tailor services to their unique context.

For the first time in the Closing the Gap process, Indigenous expertise is at the centre of decision-making. This represents an opportunity to set, implement and monitor Closing the Gap along with Indigenous Australians. The year 2020 marks the next stage in an unprecedented partnership between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak organisations, the Australian government and state and territory governments. The Morrison government, through the leadership of the Prime Minister, is bringing together COAG and the Coalition of Peaks to deliver the new partnership agreement. Our Closing the Gap Refresh will deliver shared responsibility and accountability. Indigenous Australians at local, regional and national engagements are embedding knowledge and leadership and will be involved in co-designing systems, policy and operational frameworks and working with government to action change. We are taking the time to ensure Indigenous Australians are empowered and in a genuine position to make informed decisions.

In this new way of working, we share priorities with Indigenous Australians and with state and territory governments in the areas of early childhood, education, employment and business opportunities, community safety, suicide prevention, health and supporting local people to drive local solutions. We will also address the other issues impacting Indigenous Australians such as domestic violence, suicide, access to basic health care and clean water. These are equally important. We must continue to encourage conversations across the nation so we become more comfortable with each other and our shared past, present and future. This has led to local action to achieve change.

Governments, Indigenous Australians and communities have a shared commitment to closing the gap. Change will happen, and we must not be afraid to learn from each other. Indigenous Australians are the key agents of change. Governments need to draw on their insights, knowledge and lived experience to deliver on Closing the Gap for current and future generations.

As I said earlier, I'm heartened by gains, including in early childhood and education and its long-term impact. This is why, as the Minister for Indigenous Australians, I have been tasked by the Prime Minister to develop a new whole-of-government Indigenous early childhood strategy. This will be a new way of working together to achieve our shared goals, working with experts, families, frontline service providers and communities.

Longer term we know that education has a direct impact on the ability for Indigenous Australians to obtain employment and other opportunities. The employment gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians narrows as education levels increase. In the last 10 years, the number of Indigenous Australians accessing higher education has more than doubled, and currently almost 20,000 Indigenous Australians are attending university. This is worth celebrating.

Currently, the House Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs is looking into and will report on opportunities for employment and economic development for Indigenous Australians. As I travel around Australia, I am constantly reminded of the vision, commitment and entrepreneurship of Indigenous Australian business owners. Indigenous businesses play an important role in economic growth for the Australian economy, especially in rural and remote regions.

Businesses operated by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians tend to employ higher levels of Indigenous Australians at a greater rate than in comparison to non-Indigenous businesses. They also play an important role in addressing the employment gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Owning a business or working in an Indigenous owned business is a powerful way for Indigenous Australians to take control of the economic future for their families and communities.

On Tuesday morning, 125 Indigenous businesses came to Parliament House to participate in the Supply Nation trade fair. They showcased the important role Indigenous businesses play in the Australian economy—from construction to tourism, from small businesses to recruitment agencies. Based in Wollongong, Evolved Communities provide cultural awareness training, and have clients including the Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business; the Department of Environment and Energy; and the Treasury. Australian Indigenous Coffee, based in my home state of Western Australia, runs their Coffee to Art Program, where proceeds of coffee sold on remote mine sites in the Pilbara are donated to the Budadee Foundation's Women's Nullagine Art Program. This program supports Aboriginal women at Nullagine in practising their art and stories and passing them onto younger generations. This should also be celebrated.

Let's together start celebrating each of these gains and achievements. Let's do away with the deficit mentality that has for so long plagued Indigenous Australians. Every improved outcome and achievement needs to be celebrated and used to build momentum for greater improvements. Governments, Indigenous Australians and communities have a shared commitment to closing the gap. Change will happen, and we must not be afraid to learn from each other.

We owe it to future Australians, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to build a better future, a greater nation. We owe it to all Australians that they feel as though they have a future ahead of them that will deliver worth and value for work. We will continue to work every day to get more children to school; to support pathways into long-term employment; to address and reduce suicides and other detrimental elements right across this nation; and to empower and give a voice to those who need it most. These are first and foremost my priorities and the priorities of the Morrison government.

For the first time government is walking this journey hand-in-hand with Indigenous Australians. I am optimistic that, by walking hand-in-hand and in partnership with each other, we will create a better future that has greater outcomes. We will see the levels of disparity across every jurisdiction of this nation, including within communities that are a part of the rich tapestry of the geographic diversity of this nation, show improvements in a way that we've not seen before.

I want to acknowledge the work that has been previously done by all governments, but it hasn't been able to raise the bar to the level in which equality of outcome is achieved. Each and every minister who has prevailed within Australian government arenas for Indigenous Australians have strived to achieve, but the challenge in that is that we've not done it in partnership, and the new paradigm should make an incredible difference.

I serve in this role with a great sense of pride because I am given the privilege of being able to walk with our people, sit with them and listen to them and to build on the opportunities that have been established from a foundation in the 1970s right through to now. What I do hope is that every member in this parliament will walk with me in achieving those outcomes, because, when we achieve them, we will close the gap.

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