Matt Thistlethwaite (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

This week in the parliament there have been, quite pleasingly, a number of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander boys and girls doing work experience with various members of parliament as part of the Learn Earn Legend! program.

Senator Payne interjecting—

Senator Payne is right; it was an initiative of former senator Mark Arbib. It provides a wonderful opportunity for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians to come to Parliament House to gain work experience with members of parliament, to learn how our system of government works and, hopefully, to aspire to one day becoming members of this parliament themselves, and to be, in their words, legends within their communities. That follows on from a number of intensive intervention and employment programs that this government has developed to close the gap in living standards between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and other Australians.

There has been mixed success. Objective analysis of the program indicates that there has been mixed success. On some indicators, we are making significant progress, particularly when it comes to halving the gap in the numeracy and literacy rates of primary school students. In other areas, progress has not been as significant, particularly when it comes to issues such as rates of incarceration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. But one area where the government are committed and working seriously hard with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representative organisations, within their communities, to ensure that we are making progress on reducing the gap, is Indigenous employment. The Australian government have a strong record of working with Indigenous communities to ensure that we are providing training opportunities through the vocational education and training system and opportunities for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to get a tertiary education at university; and, if they are unemployed, opportunities to gain employment through a number of the Job Services providers that contract with the government.

The government has also introduced significant reforms in employment participation and community development services in remote Australia to help more people get into work and participate in their communities and to better meet the labour needs of employers. From 1 July this year, Job Services Australia, the Disability Employment Service, the Community Development Employment Projects program and the Indigenous Employment Program will transition to the new Remote Jobs and Communities Program, or the RJCP. That will build on the strengths of the existing programs, providing a more streamlined and flexible employment and participation service in remote Australia. The RJCP will operate in 59 remote regions across Australia.

The changes are being made because many people in remote Australia said that, while the existing services provide short-term help, they are not delivering long-term results. So these changes come about as a result of a serious process of consultation with leaders and participants in programs in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander remote communities. Those who spoke to the government wanted local people to have the training and support that they need to get local jobs, and that is reflected in the design of the RJCP. It reflects the government's view that everyone who can work should have the opportunity to work.

Remote job seekers, including those on CDEP wages, will be given the personalised support that they need to take up opportunities and those who cannot get a job will participate in meaningful activities that will contribute to their communities as well as providing them with work-ready skills. There will be a single service provider with a permanent presence in each of these 59 remote regions. It is part of the government listening to the wants and needs of leaders in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, particularly those in remote areas— (Time expired)