Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, and also on behalf of Senators Lines, McLucas, Pratt, Peris and Siewert, move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes the national framework agreed to by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) in 2008 to tackle Indigenous disadvantage and the six priority areas for change identified by COAG;

(b) further notes that there have been five annual reports by the Prime Minister to the Australian Parliament on progress in meeting these Closing the Gap targets;

(c) is of the view That the presentation of these annual reports should be marked by a special parliamentary procedure in recognition of the significance of these initiatives to all Australians;

(d) therefore proposes to the House of Representatives that it consider marking the presentation of the Prime Minister's annual report on Closing the Gap by:

(i) hosting a meeting of the House to which senators are invited in a similar manner as senators are invited to attend addresses by foreign Heads of State, and

(ii) inviting senior Indigenous leaders to be present when the Prime Minister's annual report is presented; and

(e) resolves that, on its presentation to the Senate, the Prime Minister's annual report on Closing the Gap and accompanying ministerial statement be listed for consideration as a government business order of the day, and That the Government undertake to provide for at least 2 hours consideration of the statement during government business time.

Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

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

Leave is granted for one minute.

Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government will not be supporting this motion. I stress that we remain firmly committed to the Closing the Gap targets and we want to be judged on results. We want kids going to school, we want adults going to work and we want the law of the land applying in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. We do not take any issue with the sentiments behind this motion. However, the correct Senate procedure would be to refer such matters to the Procedure Committee.

The delivery of the Closing the gap report, along with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander involvement in the opening of parliament, are significant parliamentary events. The government will continue the same practice for Closing the gap reports that has been followed over the last five years, and we will continue to welcome parliamentary debate.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders around the country acknowledge the significance of this event and routinely attend, and they will be welcomed to continue to do so. Most of the senators in this place often attend the speeches of both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. The government considers Closing the Gap a bipartisan task and calls on all members of parliament to focus on outcomes and making real changes to the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

Question agreed to.

Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pursuant to standing order 154, I move:

That paragraphs 1 to 4 of this resolution be transmitted to the House of Representatives for concurrence.

Question agreed to.