Minister for Indigenous Australians
PAT TURNER, CO-CHAIR JOINT COUNCIL ON CLOSING THE GAP: We're very pleased to have Linda Burney as our new Minister for Indigenous Affairs. And at her first meeting of the Joint Council as my Co-chair. So the Coalition of Peaks welcome that appointment, and welcome the opportunity to work with the new Labor government in Canberra and with all of the jurisdictional governments including the Australian Local Government right across Australia, to achieve first of all the priority reforms in the national agreement that changes the way governments will work with our people right across Australia. So we will be involved in shared decision making partnerships with governments, rather than government just coming out, and consulting us and then going away and doing what they like. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will be able to share that decision making to make sure their priorities are reflected in the new policies and programs that will improve the life outcomes of our people. The building and strengthening of the Aboriginal community controlled sector is the second priority reform which goes to ensuring that our services are able to deliver the necessary supports to our people right across the spectrum. Because we get better outcomes and we employ more of our own people than any other sectors do. And thirdly, for government institutions like hospitals, police, youth detention centres, out of home care, all of those places must be culturally safe and culturally respectful in their dealings with Aboriginal people. So they have to be reformed to achieve that. And lastly, of course, is the sharing of data and information by governments with our people in those partnership forums. So we're looking forward to today's Joint Council meeting. We've got a big agenda to get through. But we have a very enthusiastic group, with all of the ministers responsible for Indigenous Affairs and Closing the Gap in their various jurisdictions. And we welcome the new ministers, and of course, the Coalition of Peaks reps as well. So Thank you. Minister Burney
LINDA BURNEY, MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: Thank you Pat and thank you Minister Maher for your introduction. It is very exciting to be here in Adelaide, with my parliamentary colleagues from right across the country, as well as under the leadership, the amazing leadership of Pat Turner, the members of the Coalition of Peaks. The Closing the Gap targets are absolutely fundamental to changing the lives of First Nations people in this country. But more significantly, as Pat has outlined, is the four priority reforms and in particular, the shared decision making and the point about data collection. You cannot do what we need to do in terms of closing the gap, unless there is proper data, to make sure that the efforts and the resources that we're putting into areas, are the areas that are most in need. It is not up to governments to decide those places. It is up to organisations led by Pat and the Coalition of the Peaks to tell government where our efforts need to be put. It is patently obvious that Aboriginal organisations know their communities and know what the resolutions are, to what seems like intractable, intractable problems. So the importance of those priority reforms, the importance of closing the gap cannot be underestimated. And just finally, and let me make this, as a very strong statement. The Albanese Labor government of which I am a part of, which Malarndirri is a part of, is absolutely committed to the Uluru Statement, including a Voice to the Parliament, but it is wrong to suggest that that agenda will be usurping the agenda of closing the gap. They are part and parcel of the same thing. Unless First Nations people are living lives of choice and chance, just like other Australians, then we cannot ever hold our heads high in the space of Indigenous affairs. I'm going to hand over to Malarndirri McCarthy, who is going to make an announcement to just back in what I've said, what Pat Turner has said and what the ministers and the Coalition of the Peaks are on about here in Adelaide going forward. So thank you very much, and we'll take questions after Malarndirri speaks.
MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: Thank you Minister Burney and thank you Pat Turner. It is wonderful to be here with both Pat and Linda, but also with the Ministers from all of the other jurisdictions, and most especially with the peaks, the Aboriginal community controlled health sector across this country does incredible work. I know that the Albanese Labor Government is focused on that in terms of the social policies. I certainly want to announce today that our focus is around 500 Aboriginal Health Worker trainees across Australia. I'm looking forward to working with Pat Turner and NACCHO, but also the community health sector right across Australia. The Aboriginal community health sector, because we know that health, jobs, housing, all of these are absolutely critical, those social policies that our government is absolutely committed to. We are focused also on renal disease, on rheumatic heart disease, and of course in the job sector, the revamping of the Community Development Program. So we can do both, we can ensure that we lift the standard of living for First Nations people in this country, and we can see a referendum come forward for a Voice to be enshrined in the Constitution.
JOURNALIST: Senator, is there a monetary value to go with those 500 jobs?
MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: Sure. We're looking at over $50 million. $52.9 million over five years. And this gathering today is an opportunity to further that conversation because we want to ensure that it takes place as soon as possible.
JOURNALIST: So what will the priority be for today's meeting? What issues do you want to flesh out?
PAT TURNER, CO-CHAIR JOINT COUNCIL ON CLOSING THE GAP: Well, we've got a number of issues. So our process which comes to Joint Council on behalf of first ministers, and we agree to matters that, for example today there'll be a new community infrastructure target that we hope will be endorsed by all members of Joint Council and that they will endorse in-principle, a new inland waters target for commercial development purposes for the exclusive use of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups who want to get into economic development projects. That will be an in-principle agreement we hope because then we'll check that with First Ministers and we'll come back to a later meeting in December. And we also have a number of very important policy partnerships to be endorsed in the social and emotional wellbeing space and in the early childhood, early childhood care and development and of course that is extremely important. We've got a number of place based partnerships that will be confirmed and they are where the government's will work in full partnership with those communities like Doomadgee, in the east Kimberley and in the eastern or western suburbs? western suburbs of Adelaide. So there's a whole range of sites in that regard. And there'll be an update on existing policy partnerships like the justice partnership. So there's a lot of work as you can see and a great variety of work. We've already done a number of projects, for example, on sector strengthening plans. So we've completed that with the housing sector, and we have some new ones coming on board and the health sector rather. And there's some very strong recommendations in that for governments to now take forward and implement. So it's a lot of work, across a whole range, and various types of activities that these place based partnerships, data working groups, the policy partnerships, the sector strengthening plans. It's a very complex set of arrangements, but it is necessary to do that. And what is important though, is that the First Ministers departments in each jurisdiction take a key role in ensuring that every agency across the government understands and fulfils their respective responsibilities under closing the gap, because the Aboriginal Affairs ministers cannot do it on their own. They must have the full support of their Cabinet colleagues.
JOURNALIST: Will you be discussing raising the age of criminal responsibility, perhaps Minister, can I get your views on that?
LINDA BURNEY, MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: That is not on the agenda today, specifically. But it is certainly on the agenda, as Minister Maher would be able to tell you, it's certainly on the agenda for the Attorneys-General across the country. Obviously the age of criminal responsibility is a major issue particularly when it comes to the incarceration of First Nations young people, most of the people who are in juvenile justice centres are Aboriginal young people unfortunately. The federal government has been very clear, that we believe that 10 is too young. We are yet to arrive at what we believe the appropriate age should be. But I can assure everyone here, there is national leadership on raising the age of criminal responsibility. Obviously states and territories are responsible in their jurisdictions about the age, but the national discussion has restarted after it stalled under the Attorney General Christian Porter, and I know that Kyam might like to add to that.
KYAM MAHER, SA MINISTER FOR ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS: It is a very important issue and an issue that two weeks ago today, was probably the most important item of the meeting of all Attorneys General that happened in Melbourne. Every state and territory has committed to joint work on looking at issues that go along with raising the age. If it's not a criminal justice answer with children, what therapeutic interventions can be put in place? What is needed to raise the age? There's not a joint agreement on what an age might look like. Other jurisdictions around the world have gone to 14 others have gone to 12 and then there are a whole lot of considerations about, are there any offences that are carved out? What, the services and wraparound services that are provided with raising the age, but it is work that we are certainly doing in South Australia and was critical item that all Attorneys-General spoke about two weeks ago.
JOURNALIST: Do you see this being something feasible in this term of the Malinauskas government will we have the age of criminal responsibility altered?
KYAM MAHER: It's something we're looking at. We're doing a lot of work and looking at what other jurisdictions around the world have done. There are other places in Australia such as the ACT that have made a commitment and are looking at, in the process of raising the age and it's certainly work that is ongoing here in South Australia
JOURNALIST: Inaudible
LINDA BURNEY, MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: I am loathed to speak about individual, individual jurisdictions. But what I can say is that in a previous life, I was the minister of Community Services in New South Wales. I became the minister, just as a special commission of inquiry was being passed down by Justice James Wood, which called for a total overhaul of the child protection system. But the issue of course with all child protection systems across this country, is that, is that very often the resourcing is not adequate to meet what is a growing need. We've got Muriel Bamblett here from the Coalition of Peaks in Victoria, who has talked and worked very, very much in this space. We know that Aboriginal children are over represented in the child protection system. I think across the country, it's about 35% whereas our population is what 3, 3- 4% in some places. There are a number of things that need to happen. But once again, going on from what Pat Turner has said about shared decision making. Issues in the child protection system have to be worked on collaboratively. And that is the approach that you will see going forward from, from today's meeting. And also the various meetings that are taking place in other portfolio areas. And just to finish up on that, the key to child protection is two-fold. Early intervention and prevention, or threefold, I should say and making sure that the Aboriginal community is absolutely integral to not only what the child protection system looks like, but they're involved in child removal and placement of children, particularly in kinship care.
JOURNALIST Minister there are reports of self-harm in Banskia and Don Dale in the NT, do states and territories have a responsibility to immediately remove children who are in a place of harm?
LINDA BURNEY, MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: There are people here from the Northern Territory and from Western Australia. Obviously the situation in Tasmania, the situation in Western Australia and Northern Territory when it comes to Aboriginal young people being placed into adult jails. We've got reports on it, and I know that Pat Turner talked about on radio this morning of self-harm in Tasmania. They are issues that have to be dealt with at the state and territory level. And I know that there is a lot of work going into it. But the clear message from the federal government is that we are most concerned about these reports and want to work collaboratively with states and territories on addressing the issues. It is not about one tier of government doing something. It is about all of us and community organisations like the ones you see here today involved in resolving those issues. But to have so many young people in, in what is obviously very difficult circumstances is a major concern for all of us.
JOURNALIST: If the states and territories don't do anything will the federal government intervene?
LINDA BURNEY MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: Can I be very clear from the federal government's perspective, we believe the way forward particularly with issues to do with First Nations people and a number of other social issues is not to come in over the top of states and territories. There are competent good people both in the community sector and the government sector. On these issues, I think it is the role of the Commonwealth, to work with jurisdictions to get an outcome that is the best for the community. And in particular the best for young people in those circumstances.
JOURNALIST: Minister you mentioned data collection, what are the gaps that you want to see addressed?
LINDA BURNEY MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: We'll be talking about data collection today and my message and my colleagues are standing here with me, is that if we want to have real, decent and good outcomes in Aboriginal affairs in particular, you have to have good solid data. It is, I've been a state minister. I know how protective you can be of data. But if we really want to move the dial in terms of the key priority reforms, including the 17 targets that are part of the closing the gap, you have to have good, solid data to make the decisions that are the best outcomes for First Nations people and that's all we've got time for today
JOURNALIST: You touched earlier on closing the gap and the voice to parliament, can you elaborate?
LINDA BURNEY MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: Just to finish up and there may be individual state minister who would like to say something, and this is absolutely it because we've got a meeting and as Pat has outlined a very big agenda to get through. The closing the gap targets are fundamental and we're all committed to them. The priority four reforms, the four of them are fundamental to a new way of doing business with First Nations people. They have to be the underpinning. But there should not be a binary choice between a referendum and closing the gap targets. If we do one, then we are not achieving what we need to be doing. So what I'm saying in terms of a Voice of the parliament, it will be another layer of making sure that the parliament takes on board what the Closing the Gap efforts are about and works hand in hand with the Peaks and we should and we will be doing that together, at the same time. It is not beyond us. And if it was, then neither would make any sense. So we'll be doing them both.
