Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for COAG) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, my question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Indigenous Employment and Economic Development, which I believe this week is Senator Evans. How can Indigenous Australians trust that COAG under this government will take meaningful action on one of its five new themes, closing the gap on Indigenous disadvantage, when COAG’s new structure has no Indigenous-specific standing council, no select council and not even a legislative and governance forum to coordinate these reforms?

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

I thank the senator for her question. I am not a great believer that the form of bureaucratic arrangement is the actual key response in dealing with an issue like Indigenous disadvantage in this country. I think the previous government found that when you had your COAG coordinated trials, which were an unmitigated—

Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Scullion interjecting—

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

Mr Howard, as Prime Minister, made I think a genuine attempt with the then secretary of PM&C to drive COAG coordinated trials in five locations, Senator Scullion, and they were an unmitigated disaster. It was not due to a lack of will or a lack of effort, but they were an unmitigated disaster.

What we have continued to try to do is work with the states to find real solutions to assist Indigenous communities to drive change in their communities and to address the appalling gap between their life expectancy and their life reality and those of other Australians. I can assure the senator that this government and the state governments remain absolutely committed under the new COAG arrangements to continuing the drive to close the gap in Indigenous disadvantage. The senator can see that through the range of initiatives that both Ms Macklin and Senator Arbib are driving on a whole range of fronts—housing, employment, health—to try to ensure that we make serious progress on these matters. I think all Australians and all members of this parliament want to do that. We have just got to continue that commitment and work on solutions that actually get good results. (Time expired)

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for COAG) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I note the minister’s views about form of bureaucratic arrangement but, given that the lack of effective coordination previously in Indigenous affairs was one of the most significant problems afflicting the area, can the minister explain how, in the reduction of ministerial councils to some 23, Indigenous affairs did not make the cut and was relegated to the status of a working group? His answer still does not address that concern.

Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator, I can assure you that it remains a priority for the ministers responsible and at the forefront of our agenda, and you saw the Prime Minister respond to the parliament the other day. My point to you is that the reorganisation of COAG’s arrangements has been taken by the Commonwealth and the states together as being a better reflection of their priorities and the organisational structures to support those. But, at the end of the day, successive governments, on our side and on yours, have mouthed platitudes about achieving results in Indigenous affairs in this country and we have failed Indigenous people. I am much, much more interested in whether or not we are getting results and, if we are not, how we address those issues. I am constantly making the plea that we leave the politics out of this stuff and see if we cannot all work together to get a much better outcome for Indigenous people than successive governments have been able to deliver.

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for COAG) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I thank the minister for his response. Given that we are not actually meeting the targets in closing the gap in about 50 per cent of areas, will the government consider reinstating a ministerial council dedicated to achieving reforms that will improve the lives of Indigenous Australians?

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

As I indicated to the senator, she might think changing the administrative arrangements will make a huge difference and that the Commonwealth government, the Western Australian state Liberal government and all the other state governments have made a mistake in terms of how they have agreed now to organise affairs. I am not sure that her view is necessarily the right one and that they are all wrong. But the point I was making to her is that she ought to concentrate on the section of her question that is relevant. Are we achieving our objectives? Are we having success in closing the gaps? I think we are all aware that progress on some is good; progress on others is not. But that is the focus. Quite frankly, Senator, if you are focusing on committees rather than outcomes, I think you are not focusing on the right thing.