High levels of support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Canberrans

Today as Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs attended the Standing Committee on Health, Community and Social Services hearing into the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Annual Report 2010-11 hearing.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs is not just about addressing disadvantage, although this is important, it also means celebrating the achievements and successes of Indigenous Canberrans.

At the hearings the range of ACT Government initiatives and services available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Canberrans were outlined.

I am proud that today's hearing demonstrated the total ACT Government funding in support of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services and programs is at record levels.

The latest assessment for expenditure shows total funding of $17.7m on discrete services and programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the ACT and an estimated $94m of mainstream services were accessed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Today I spoke about ‘the four D's' that remain particularly relevant for Indigenous people in contemporary Australia. They are: Dispossession, Diaspora, Disempowerment and Discrimination.

When we talk of respecting the continuing tradition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture we need to be mindful that dispossession and diaspora have had, and continue to have, a major impact on how our people have been able to build and sustain a sense of community. As a reflection of our history many Indigenous Australians continue to be discouraged and suffer discrimination in their daily lives.

In the ACT we are making a difference. There is, for example, a trend to increasing retention Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from Year 10 to Year 12 and our students continue to complete Year 12 at the highest rate in Australia.

It is my intention to reinforce a whole-of-government approach to the elimination of discrimination and disadvantage against Indigenous community members.