Trish Crossin (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Indigenous Employment and Economic Development, Senator Arbib. Is the minister aware that on Saturday the Business Council of Australia released its second annual member survey on Indigenous engagement initiatives, a survey which identifies activities undertaken by member companies to help close the gap? If so, can the minister inform the Senate about the findings of the report and about what the government is doing to encourage private sector led initiatives in achieving the government’s efforts to close that gap?

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Crossin for the question. I know she has worked tirelessly on this issue. Many Northern Territory members of the community have benefited from her work. As senators in the chamber are aware, the Gillard government is committed to closing the gap in Indigenous inequality. At the heart of this effort is a drive to halve the gap on Indigenous employment. While the government is working hard with Indigenous communities through programs like the Indigenous Employment Program and Job Services Australia, the enormity of the challenge is great, and we cannot do it alone. It is vital that we engage corporate Australia to help drive demand for Indigenous employees, create sustainable career paths for jobseekers, and drive cultural change so that Indigenous employment becomes the rule rather than the exception in workplaces.

Because of this work we saw progress on the weekend. The Business Council of Australia report shows a number of positive changes. Forty of the 100 BCOA member companies now have Indigenous engagement initiatives, compared with 28 last year. Twenty-nine companies have Indigenous employment and/or traineeship strategies, compared with 21 last year. Twenty-one companies have specific Indigenous employment goals or targets, compared with 14 last year. Fourteen companies have completed reconciliation action plans, RAPs, compared with nine last year. This is good news and it is complemented by work being done by ACCI, Reconciliation Australia and AiG. Of course, because of the size of the challenge and the complexity of the issue, a great deal still needs to be done. That is why the government is working extremely closely with programs like the AEC, Australian Employment Covenant, through our Indigenous employment program assisting companies to train and employ Indigenous Australians. The covenant has now generated more than 22,000 commitments. (Time expired)

Trish Crossin (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question—and I can see the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate is listening attentively to the answers. I ask the minister—

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, Senator Crossin’s comment was completely unreasonable and gratuitous. The senator should be ashamed of herself and withdraw that comment. It had no basis whatsoever.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ronaldson, there is no point of order. Senator Crossin, just address your comments to the chair.

Trish Crossin (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My comments were through the chair, Mr President. My supplementary question: can the minister advise the Senate on what progress the government is making more generally in terms of closing the gap in Indigenous employment? In particular, how is the government working to support the development of Indigenous businesses to increase employment?

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At last week’s Senate estimates hearing we heard that many of the government’s Indigenous employment programs are successfully being implemented. Almost 3,000 Australian government and 750 state and local government jobs have been created from former CDEP positions with proper entitlements including superannuation and annual leave. In the Northern Territory, there has been a 46 per cent increase in job placements brokered with the assistance of Job Services Australia providers over the past six months, and 30 per cent of the workforce on the remote housing program in the Northern Territory is Aboriginal, exceeding our target of 20 per cent. But you cannot create sustainable Indigenous jobs without sustainable economic development. In Indigenous communities we need Indigenous businesses to flourish. We heard in estimates that the Australian Indigenous Minorities Supplier Council pilot is delivering great results for Indigenous businesses. In its first year it has facilitated over $4 million in contracts between its 41 corporate members and 53 certified suppliers. (Time expired)

Trish Crossin (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. What is the government’s reaction to GenerationOne’s address to the nation last night on closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians? In particular, what role does a grassroots campaign like GenerationOne play in helping to close that gap?

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Like six million other Australians, I watched Madeleine Madden last night deliver the GenerationOne address, and I found it absolutely inspiring. She challenged each and every one of us to play a part in creating a better future for Indigenous Australians, recognising that we must all work together. The address, as I said, was broadcast to six million Australians, and I am delighted to report that the GenerationOne website has now had 1.6 million hits since seven o’clock last night. The government applauds the efforts of groups like GenerationOne who are encouraging all of us to make a difference in any way we can. It will take time, but we are seeing results of these efforts. I encourage you all to visit the GenerationOne website to read the inspirational stories of Australians who are supporting Indigenous mentoring, employment, business and education initiatives. The strongest message that we can take from Madeleine’s address is that governments cannot do it alone. Non-government organisations, businesses and communities must all work together to provide a better country and opportunity—(Time expired)