Martin Ferguson (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Primary Industries, Resources, Forestry and Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

I welcome the opportunity to address the House on this important debate on the Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Amendment Bill 2006. I listened with interest to the contribution from the member for Fisher but I simply remind the House that, as the member for Canberra implied, it is good to see that he could at least get to this debate. There is an important committee reference of the House underway at the moment and he finds it difficult to get to committee hearings. In dealing with what I think is a fairly important issue, it is not only about coming in here from time to time and making a speech; it is also about a whole-of-government commitment to doing something serious about a major social and employment problem confronting Australia. That is why this debate is very important, and I am pretty disappointed with the lack of speakers in this debate in the House on what is a key issue. It is one of the key social problems confronting Australia at the moment, across a range of social indicators. It is about how we as a community, using a whole-of-government approach and working in partnership with the private sector, do something about making a serious improvement in the ability of our Indigenous community to make progress on issues such as health, education and training.

The opposition is pleased that an additional $43.6 million proposed over the period from 2006 to 2008 is on the table. But I think we should also be clear—and I note that the member for Fisher has now decided to stay in the House and listen to this important debate—that that contribution will only benefit Indigenous kids if the government can expend the money and implement the proposed programs competently and on time. The facts show that that has been one of the weaknesses of the Howard government, so fully supported by the member for Fisher, with respect to Indigenous education in recent times. If we are to make progress on this front, it requires the absolute cooperation of the Australian government with state and territory governments. I also believe that if we are to make progress at a community level we have to look to support from the private sector. I have the shadow responsibilities for this on behalf of the Labor Party. Think about the importance, for example, of the resources sector, the energy sector, forestry and tourism in regional Australia for Indigenous communities and think about trying to bring in these private sectors to assist in the provision of education and support for local educational opportunities.

It is with those comments in mind that I say: there is a bit of extra money on the table, but more has to be done. I say that because we are now talking about the same government that the member for Fisher is so proud of—and I must say, I am waiting to see whether he supports John Bjelke-Petersen in the election next Saturday, having knocked him off previously with respect to parliamentary representation!

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