Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Bartlett for his question and acknowledge his long-term interest in Indigenous issues. The government has made an enormous contribution to Indigenous disadvantage in this budget. It is, in a sense, a second step, given the funding announcements we made prior to the budget immediately on coming to office. It allocates over $1.2 billion in new funding for Indigenous policy initiatives since we came to office. So, between what we already had announced and the budget, there is $1.2 billion in new funding for Indigenous policy. The senator correctly refers to ambitious targets for improving Indigenous life expectancy, child mortality, educational attainment and employment, but I think it is about time that Australia set ambitious targets in these areas. Without targets we do not measure progress and, while the setting of targets puts huge pressures on the government, on the bureaucracy and on all Australians, unless we set those ambitious targets we will not make progress.

This budget is a big investment in the campaign to close the gap between Indigenous and other Australians. It is a national priority. In 2008-09, we have continued each and every initiative started under the Northern Territory intervention. The funding for the first year of the NTER included initial implementation and logistical costs, which are now complete. We made additional commitments to the Northern Territory since coming to office. We have committed over $660 million to the Northern Territory through our election commitments and initiatives started under the Northern Territory emergency response. These include nearly $100 million to provide 200 new teachers to the Northern Territory, almost $30 million for three Indigenous boarding colleges and almost $70 million to keep rolling out income management across the Northern Territory. We have also committed over $550 million to important programs which will operate across the country, such as over $56 million to improve literacy and numeracy programs for all Indigenous students and over $100 million for child and maternal health initiatives. There has also been $90 million allocated to create 300 jobs for Indigenous rangers in remote and regional Australia.

These are all commitments aimed at the national goal of closing the gap in life expectancy and other key measures between Indigenous Australians and other Australians. This budget reflects that priority of the government. I think it reflects a growing national commitment from all sides of politics, from the community and from business, that we have to do something about the appalling conditions that Indigenous people find themselves in. We have to set ambitious targets and we have to commit wholeheartedly to that. I know that the minister, Ms Jenny Macklin, is the right person for that job. She is enormously committed. She has great energy and she has made a really good start. I do appreciate the support we have had from the opposition and I do appreciate the support we have had from the minor parties because, as I have said for many years now—and I held the portfolio for a while in opposition—unless there is a broad consensus in the Australian community, unless there is a commitment on behalf of all of Australia to addressing Indigenous disadvantage, we will not get there. If it is a partisan political debate, we will not make progress, so I think that it is important that we all get behind the initiatives. This budget is a very good contribution to starting that process. It reflects commitments that we made being honoured, and those commitments will continue to be reflected in further budgets. (Time expired)