Barry Wakelin (Grey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Would the minister inform the House of the response this week to his recent announcement encouraging senior Australians to volunteer their expertise to assist remote Indigenous communities?

Mal Brough (Longman, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Grey for his question and his interest. The response has been nothing short of astounding. On Sunday at the National Seniors conference on the Gold Coast, I announced this initiative, in partnership with the National Seniors: to come together to provide the expertise, the wisdom, the life experience and the work experience that these people have to remote communities and work with them to build a better Australia. There were about 240 people there on that morning and, of those, 100 people signed up straight after—not gave an expression of interest but actually signed up—to go to remote communities, in what I would say is probably the most complete expression of genuine reconciliation: people with practical measures going to remote communities, learning from the First Australians and giving to them. Since Sunday, that number has already grown to 150. The range of skills of those people includes farming, marketing, teaching, accounting and nursing—worthwhile knowledge and understanding that will help in a practical way in those communities.

Two other things have occurred. We have insisted that, obviously, if people are going to go to these communities they will have to undertake not only police checks—as you would expect—but also cultural awareness training, so that they understand the circumstances and the life experience of the people that they are about to assist. Three people volunteered their time who are retired academics who have been teaching cultural awareness, to ensure that they provide that pro bono. Then a mobile home caravan manufacturer contacted National Seniors to say, ‘We’re so excited about this initiative that, for those who do not have their own form of house on their back—the grey nomads—we will assist and provide that.’ So it just shows that this is starting to snowball. It is getting great assistance across the country.

I would like to pass on one comment from a woman who lives in a remote community, Miriam Rose Baumann, who was here today. She is part of the NIC, the National Indigenous Council. She is a teacher—in fact, a principal—at a remote school in Daly River and she said, ‘I always believe Aboriginal people, youth and students, should be exposed to the wider community—getting kids to understand there is a wider world.’ She also said that schools definitely need assistance in teaching students how to read and write. I just want to congratulate her on the work she is doing.

And I take this opportunity to thank the National Indigenous Council—with whom many of my colleagues met today as part of our regular taskforce meetings—for the many accomplishments that they have helped the government to achieve, including the domestic violence and sexual abuse summit. They have encouraged us to do more work with youth as far as sports achievements are concerned, and a myriad of other things. The NIC have performed an invaluable role for the government and we thank them for it.

The opposition only has one idea in this—they recently put out a statement by their shadow minister and it was, basically, back to ATSIC. I find that a disappointing response. It is back to yesterday and a failed response. It did not help Australia. It will not help the Australian Aboriginals into the future.

I say to the members opposite, and particularly the members for Maribyrnong and Corio: I understand that shortly you will be looking for a new career; if you feel that you want to go out and give your time in remote Aboriginal communities, you will be appreciated. And I guess that, in the event that the Leader of the Opposition finds a little more time on his hands shortly, he would find that his efforts in such a place would be greatly appreciated—perhaps a little more than they are in this place.

Chris Bowen (Prospect, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Bowen interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Prospect is warned!