PM: If I could begin by expressing my deep sadness at the loss of Clem Jones. Clem Jones, the former Lord Mayor of Brisbane and the Administrator placed in charge of the rebuilding of Darwin after cyclone Tracey, has passed away. Clem was a long standing personal friend of mine. A great source of support and encouragement and friendship and on behalf of all Australians, Territorians, Queenslanders, representatives of the city of Brisbane, he is a legend and we are going to be sadly, sadly depleted by his loss to us all.
In my community in Brisbane, Clem Jones established the Clem Jones Youth Centre, which provides sporting opportunities for young people, including young people who have been in trouble with the law. And his view always was if you provide sporting opportunities for kids, particularly young blokes who have had a run in with the police it's the best way to get them back on the straight and narrow. So he said: how do I do that? So he then began fundraising to establish the Clem Jones Centre for doing that, which now supports literally sporting programs for hundreds and hundreds of young people.
Clem's sense of social justice also extended to the most disadvantaged as well. The Clem Jones Aged Care Centre which, Jenny and I in earlier lives have visited, it's in my own community in Brisbane, out there providing practical support for people in need and when Clem started that off, he was literally out there in the kitchen making sure it was all working. This person, this man, Clem Jones he was the embodiment of extending a helping hand to people in need, a very practical Administrator here in the Northern Territory, the (inaudible) of the city of Brisbane, the modernisation of Brisbane, proper facilities for youth and for our aged and Australia will be saddened by his loss.
Jenny Macklin and I have been, today, here in Darwin, meeting with Indigenous leaders from across the Northern Territory. We've just had a very good two hour long meeting with some twenty five leaders from right across the Territory and it's been a good and constructive discussion about the challenges which are facing Indigenous communities today.
I've decided that this group of twenty five and they have kindly responded positively to my suggestion that they form a reference group for the matters that we have to discuss together during the course of 2008. Now, I will be returning to the Territory on a quarterly basis to discuss our agenda with this reference group of Aboriginal leaders and their agenda with us. We want to ensure that our overall objective of closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous life expectancy, Indigenous and non-Indigenous education (inaudible) is done on a cooperative and consultative basis so that we achieve progress together.
I also indicated to these Aboriginal leaders today that I'll be bringing the Cabinet to the Northern Territory by the middle of next year and we'll be meeting the Cabinet in an Aboriginal community outside the cities. So we'll be deciding where that occurs in the weeks and months ahead. I think it's very important in response to representations by Indigenous leaders that Cabinet Ministers and the Senior bureaucrats who support them experience first hand some of the challenges which are faced in some of the more remote communities here in the Territory. And so I look forward to resolving that venue and that meeting with them soon.
Finally, the spirit of cooperation which characterised our discussion this morning was really strong. I'm not hiding the fact that there are controversial matters, many controversial matters. I accept that. There is going to be disagreement from time to time and agreement from time to time. But what I'm determined to do is to make sure that our challenge for the future, that is to adhere to a practical program of closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities is achieved on a cooperative basis. I reaffirm this morning that the intervention will continue and will be subject to a review, as I've already indicated many times before, and as has done Jenny, in the second half of the year and we'll work through that review ourselves but also in partnership with the reference group of Aboriginal leaders with whom we met this morning. I might ask Jenny to add to what I've just said and then we'll happily take your questions.
MACKLIN: Thanks very much Kevin. The people who were represented at the consultation meeting this morning came from a wide cross section of groups. People from educational groups, health groups, people representing the land councils, people from different communities right across the Territory and it was a very productive meeting covering a wide range of issues, some very practically orientated to the implementation of the intervention but others really going to the main agenda items that they see are necessary if we are to close the gap. There was a strong desire that the Federal Government work cooperatively with the Northern Territory Government and both the Prime Minister and I have met with the new Chief Minister and I've met with his Deputy as well in the last day and I do think it is very significant that we were able to come here to Darwin to meet with a wide cross section of people so soon after the election to demonstrate our willingness to go forward to really address the serious levels of disadvantage in a cooperative way, with Aboriginal people.
PM: Just before throwing it open to questions, if I could touch quickly on the events in Bali and climate change. Our advice this morning is that, negotiators were meeting through until very early, in fact very late this morning and this is still a very tough negotiation. It's still in a state of flux. Penny Wong, our chief negotiator and Minister for Climate Change has been playing a key role in those negotiations. She was appointed as one of the co-chairs of the final high level negotiating session and so Penny is in there with sleeves rolled up, probably completely sleep deprived by this stage, trying to bring out a decent outcome. This is a very difficult negotiation, but it is one on which all peoples of the world are placing their hopes and their faith in the governments of the world to come together to produce a decent outcome for the planet.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: Let me take those in sequence. On the first question of the apology. Yes. And I certainly asked for the input of these experienced Aboriginal leaders (inaudible) Jenny, in terms of how that is best done. This is an important part of building a bridge of respect between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia and we've got to get that right. The other thing we've got to get right is closing the gap. Both these things are important and we had a good discussion about both this morning.
On your second point Michelle, your second question, I will decide that very early in the week in terms of the inclusion of these matters. On the question of Indigenous affairs onto the COAG agenda, I haven't yet had an opportunity, having just come in from Bali to hear the inputs from any Premiers and Chief Ministers and I reiterate what I said in Bali or Dili, I can't remember which it was, that I'm more than relaxed about having such a discussion, so long as it's capable of producing a solid and productive outcome and I'll wait for reports in from Premiers and Chief Ministers on that and we'll make that clear very early in the week.
And your third question was?
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: Oh yes, Aboriginal leaders were very blunt about some of their concerns, about the way in which aspects of the intervention were proceeding. Some had some good things to say about aspects of the intervention. There were many critical remarks.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: And that's your fourth question. Deftly done. It went to the range of comments, of implementation arrangements, lack of consultation and the effectiveness of various programs on the ground and also concerns about the operation of the permit system. And look, I believe you've just got to have a very frank, open, consultative relationship with Aboriginal leadership so that we know what the concerns are, they can be reflected back to the public servants who've been charged with the responsibility of implementing the intervention and also assist us in the review process which will occur in the second half of next year.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: No, I just believe in letting everyone have a say. You had twenty five leaders and none of them were backwards in coming forwards. That was the good thing about it. So, I've had to ask the Royal Australian Air Force to delay take off for a little while to talk to Aboriginal leaders and then to talk to you the good ladies and gentlemen of the press.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: Well, on the intervention, I'll let Jenny answer that. I think what we've indicated is that, what was budgeted for it will be allocated because we've got to give this a fair run in order to make a properly informed assessment of its effectiveness. That's one thing. Secondly on the broader question of our approach to Indigenous policy. Prior to the election we indicated a further package of $261 million and that was aimed specifically at what we do with maternal and child welfare, what we do in terms of targeted literacy programs for Indigenous children, and a range of other practical measures. On the health front for example, on rheumatic fever, a $10 million program aimed at targeting that specific problem. As someone as a kid who had rheumatic fever himself, it is almost endemic in certain Indigenous communities and we really have to act on that one and it's important that it is in progress. So that $261 million program remains on foot.
The last thing I'd say before asking Jenny to add is we've also made specific commitments for the provision of two hundred additional teachers for Indigenous education in the Northern Territory. When I was up here in the election campaign, rolling around shopping centres, the number of teachers from Indigenous communities who would come up to me and talk to me about their lack of resources and numbers in various of these communities. I think this is a very practical and important initiative which has already been put forward by us prior to the election with a funding commitment attached to it and we are determined to implement it. Do you want to add to what I've said, Jenny?
MACKLIN: Thanks very much. As the Prime Minister's indicated, money that was previously allocated before the intervention, both generally and specifically for housing will continue. On top of that there's the closing the gap commitments that he's outlined and the teachers, we also made specific commitments for primary health care infrastructure in remote parts of the Northern Territory, specific commitments for sexual assault services and then a number of specific areas for economic development. Money to enable the employment of three hundred rangers, that's in remote parts of Australia, not just the Northern Territory. Money for carbon trading, to work with Indigenous communities, to really foster a carbon trading, emerging carbon trading market and a number of other specific economic development initiatives. They too were very much the focus of the discussion this morning. A number of contributors wanted to make sure that we worked collaboratively with Indigenous leaders and also the private sector to make sure we really take advantage of the economic opportunities up here in the north.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
MACKLIN: One of the issues that we talked about in some detail, were the health checks, the desire for of course the health checks to be effective in guaranteeing that children get access to medical services. One of the contributors today wanted to guarantee that of course that fits in with the primary health care system that exists here in the Northern Territory, that children get access to secondary and tertiary services and ongoing support after the first child health checks. So that's one area where people are glad it's happening but have some suggestions about how we go forward.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
MACKLIN: We have indicated for some time, as far back as when this issue was debated in the Parliament, that we thought that the permits should stay. That was raised today as well and certainly people feel that it would be better if they do stay. We have also indicated, however, and this was part of an amendment we moved in the Parliament, that access to Indigenous communities should be extended to journalists and to government employees or contractors who are working for Governments delivering, for example, a full range of services. So, they're the sorts of amendments we would make to the permit regime.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
MACKLIN: Well as you'd be aware, we have been discussing these very important issues with the Premier of Queensland Anna Bligh. As the Prime Minister has indicated, he will be discussing these issues and the broader questions of Indigenous affairs with the other Premiers and Chief Ministers as to whether that will be on the COAG agenda. These are serious issues in the Northern Territory, very serious issues in Queensland, but of course they are matters that we need to consider carefully and I intend to do that in a cooperative fashion with the Premier of Queensland.
PM: Just as I conclude the other thing to add to what Jenny's just said there is that, and I was asked this question (inaudible) review, the effectiveness of the program here and that occurs in the second half of the year. These are serious matters, really serious matters. The reason we backed this report, this approach I should say, is because we read ‘Little Children are Sacred' and we were horrified by what we read and therefore we were prepared to back this intervention and we'll then review it's effectiveness and that I think is the appropriate way forward before looking at any other measures downstream in terms of other jurisdictions, and as Jenny said we intend to do this on a cooperative basis.
To conclude also, if I could say to the people of the Northern Territory, to thank them one and all for their support for Damian Hale, in his election as the new member for Solomon. He is a great bloke. I really enjoy talking to him about his views on what can be done here in the Territory, what can be done for this community and the pre-election commitments we made here in terms of GP Superclinics, in terms of our aimed course of action with Tiger Brennan and in other areas, they'll be subject to a detailed implementation strategy. What we undertook to the Northern Territory we'll be delivering to the Territory. And Damian Hale is critical to that. The other thing I said about Damian's role in the future is I will make sure that he has an advisory role with our new Minister for Youth and Sport, Kate Ellis, particularly on the question of advancing Indigenous sporting opportunities into the future. He is well qualified for that and in fact I gather he's playing in the forward pocket this afternoon. At the age of thirty eight, he needs his head read. And he will emerge bruised and sorry for the experience but his commitment and passion for sport and Indigenous sporting opportunities is beyond dispute and I look forward to him playing a role there and we've got to run to the airport. Thanks
ends