I am concerned that the Administrative Arrangements Order reflecting the role of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) under the new arrangements for indigenous affairs may have given the false impression that the government is no longer committed to reconciliation. This was not my intention.
In order to make it clear that DIMIA now has a broad coordinating role in relation to the delivery of services to indigenous Australians by a number of Government agencies, the Administrative Arrangements Order was changed to emphasise "Indigenous Policy Coordination". It was always intended that reconciliation would be part of this role. Indeed a Branch in the Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination has been specifically charged with this policy responsibility. There has been no change to Senator the Hon. Amanda Vanstone's role as Minister Assisting me for Reconciliation.
In order to remove any doubt about the Government's commitment to reconciliation, I have asked my Department to prepare as a matter of urgency the necessary documentation for a recommendation to the Governor-General in Council for an amendment to the Administrative Arrangements Order. The proposed Order will make it explicit that DIMIA will have responsibility for "Indigenous policy coordination and the promotion of reconciliation".
Reconciliation remains a priority for the Australian Government. Its importance is reflected in the fact that in the last Budget the Government provided $15m for the next four years to ensure that Reconciliation Australia can continue its valuable work in promoting reconciliation in this country.