Mr HOWARD (Prime Minister) (3:27 PM) —by leave—Mr Speaker, I want to take this opportunity on the first day of National Reconciliation Week to confirm the government's strong commitment to the cause of reconciliation between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. This week all Australians can show a commitment to reconciliation, inform themselves about the indigenous perspective and participate in reconciliation activities.

National Reconciliation Week is marked by two very significant dates. Today, 27 May, is the anniversary of the referendum in 1967 which empowered the Commonwealth to make laws for Aboriginal people. The concluding date of National Reconciliation Week is 3 June, the anniversary of the High Court's decision in the Mabo case.

The theme this year is Communities Working Together. All over Australia local councils, churches, business and community organisations will be acknowledging the cause of reconciliation, and I urge Australians to join in their local activities. Australia's traditional values of a fair go, of tolerance and acceptance of diversity, of looking after each other in times of need provide the context for successful reconciliation.

In 1991 the coalition parties supported the establishment of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation. I take this opportunity to acknowledge the contribution of a couple of members of that council—firstly, the honourable member for Aston (Mr Nugent), who represented the coalition parties, and, more recently, my colleague the honourable member for Murray (Mrs Stone). We continue to support the council's objective, which is to promote reconciliation based on an appreciation of indigenous cultures and achievements and the unique position of indigenous people in Australia.

There are three major elements to a successful reconciliation process. We should acknowledge the realities of our shared history and its continuing effects. We should, in line with the theme of National Reconciliation Week, work together towards a common future in which we share equally, in which we appreciate and respect our varied traditions and cultures. Finally, and this is the key, we need an ongoing commitment to address Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander disadvantage.

This is a major policy priority of the government. There can otherwise be no meaningful reconciliation. We do look forward to the day when indigenous people share equally with all other Australians in the social, economic and cultural life of our nation. We look forward to the day when indigenous people are able to leave behind welfare dependence and take control of their own lives and their own communities. We know that this will not be achieved if indigenous people continue to lag behind in the key socioeconomic areas of health, housing, education and employment. My government's efforts therefore have been concentrated in these areas and I believe that we are beginning to see results.

In the recent budget, the Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs (Senator Herron) issued a ministerial statement which, for the first time, puts on record exactly what the government is doing to meet its goals. It shows that we spend almost $1.9 billion annually on indigenous specific programs and that over 70 per cent of this money is spent in the four key areas I mentioned.

Since coming to government, we have increased indigenous health spending by nearly 40 per cent. I will say that again. Since coming to government, we have increased indigenous health spending by more than 40 per cent. That represents a practical, on the ground, sincere commitment to the area that ought to be of greatest concern to people who claim that they are concerned about the welfare of our indigenous people. There is nothing less acceptable that in 1998 our fellow Australians within the indigenous community should suffer such appalling levels of general health. That is why, in line with my government's priorities, we have increased—I say it again—indigenous health spending by nearly 40 per cent.

I was very pleased to be able to announce in February a project to address the severe eye health problem in indigenous communities. In a country with all of Australia's comparative advantages, it is intolerable that so many indigenous people should be afflicted with avoidable blindness. The measures we are putting in place will make an appreciable and early difference. We are also providing an immunisation program for influenza and associated diseases which are a major cause of ill health and death in indigenous communities. It is by practical, realistic and effective measures such as these that we aim to achieve significantly better outcomes for indigenous people.

We recognise that there is a huge backlog in the provision of adequate housing and health related infrastructure in indigenous communities. Unfortunately, the available funding is not unlimited. We have decided that our priorities should be those communities that are particularly needy and, because of their location in the remote areas, cannot access mainstream programs.

The innovative ATSIC army community assistance program, which we initiated shortly after coming to government and which, incidentally, was initiated as a result of a direct approach to me by three members of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, has already had some excellent results. Seven priority remote communities have been identified and the army is providing housing, sewerage, and better, cleaner and safe water supplies. Most significantly, they will also have community members who are trained by army personnel to maintain the new infrastructure so that the value of the asset will be preserved and the benefits in terms of improved health will be sustained.

Indeed, during my recent trip to the Northern Territory to visit Aboriginal communities I was able to see the very real improvements which will be made to the community of Elcho Island under the program. These include the construction of 10 homes, the provision of solar power and the upgrading of water supplies. These results demonstrate that this program is delivering real benefits to indigenous people in the most needy of remote communities in Australia. I am very pleased to announce today that the government will commit an additional $5 million to extend the ATSIC army community program. I have asked my colleague the Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs to consult ATSIC to provide matching funds as it did under the pilot program.

I particularly want to express my thanks to army personnel who have contributed so willingly to the success of this program and the productive consultation processes which they undertook with local communities. Indeed, the program is an excellent example of this government's approach to the reconciliation process, particularly in light of the very constructive relationships which were formed between army personnel and the indigenous communities.

Indigenous children suffer particular disadvantage in educational outcomes. The comparative participation figures are very telling. Indigenous children have a secondary school year 12 retention rate of less than 30 per cent, compared with some 70 per cent for other young Australians. Only nine per cent of indigenous young people are attending tertiary institutions compared with 22 per cent of the rest of the Australian population. Twenty-five per cent of indigenous students leave school before year 10; for other students, the figure is only two per cent.

In terms of educational attainments, 75 per cent of indigenous students in primary schools have significantly low levels of literacy and numeracy, compared with 33 per cent within the rest of the population. The situation is exacerbated by the remoteness of many Aboriginal communities which have no educational facilities and are located a considerable distance from the nearest schools.

My government is committed to assisting indigenous students reach their full potential and has provided increased funding, including to the indigenous education strategic initiatives program. I note that the government will be providing a package of initiatives of more than $15 million under this program for new equipment and facilities, including computers, school buses and accommodation for teachers in remote areas. The additional funds will also be used for curriculum programs aimed at improving the reading and writing skills of indigenous children, particularly in those vital early primary years. This funding will go to schools, both government and non-government, preschools and vocational and training institutions. It augments the $20 million announced by my government in December for similar facilities and projects for indigenous students in non-government schools and preschools.

We also remain very supportive of the community development employment projects scheme. It may not be very well known that, under this scheme, indigenous people have been working for the dole for the last 20 years. This scheme was introduced by the coalition government led by Malcolm Fraser in 1977 both to gain work experience and to improve community amenities. Demand for places has always been high, despite some disincentives in terms of reduced welfare entitlements and taxation rebates. We have now removed these anomalies and will provide CDEP workers with the same allowances available to mainstream work for the dole participants. This will bring more money into indigenous communities to assist in their economic development.

An appreciation in the wider community of the unique culture and heritage of Australia's indigenous people is also integral to reconciliation. I felt very privileged to have experienced the culture of the Torres Strait Islands and Eastern Arnhem Land earlier this year. The pride that indigenous people take in their traditions, the enormous effort that is put into maintaining them and the important role of the family in indigenous communities are greatly admired by other Australians. Over recent years, increasingly, many Australians will have enjoyed outstanding work by indigenous people in the visual and performing arts.

Understanding the importance of land to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians is essential to an appreciation of their culture. We have a profound respect for the deep attachment of indigenous people to their traditional land and we support the principles of native title as set out in the Mabo and Wik decisions. But, of course, other Australians also have attachments and rights to land, and a balance must be struck. I believe we have achieved that balance with our native title amendments and, even if no single group is entirely happy with the outcome, I hope it will be acknowledged that the result is the best compromise amongst varied interests.

The other key element is understanding our shared history and recognising that this history continues to contribute to today's disadvantage. Last December we announced a $63 million package of practical measures clearly targeted at the most urgent needs identified in the Bringing them home recommendations. The funds we set aside will be used by ATSIC to establish Link Up centres in each state and the Northern Territory to assist people wishing to trace missing relatives. Substantial funds were also allocated to provide new and enhanced counselling services, in recognition of the distress that many have faced.

But, importantly, reconciliation is also about the future. It is especially about the future. It is about determining common goals and building enduring partnerships that will take us together into the next century. We are an egalitarian people, a fair and tolerant people. I believe that we have a real commitment to those elements of the reconciliation process that I have talked about—acknowledging the past, appreciating indigenous culture, working together but, most importantly, addressing those disadvantages that prevent indigenous people taking their rightful place in contemporary Australia. We are approaching an important, indeed exciting, time in the history of our nation and, with mutual trust and respect, the process of reconciliation will be one of the greatest successes of that history.

In conclusion, I wish to thank and congratulate Mrs Evelyn Scott, the new chairman, and Sir Gustav Nossal, the new Deputy Chairman, of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation on their efforts and the efforts of their fellow council members in coordinating this week's activities. I again urge all Australians to enter wholeheartedly into the spirit of reconciliation. I present the following paper:

National Reconciliation Week—Ministerial Statement, 27 May 1998 .

Motion (by Mr Reith) proposed:

That the House take note of the statement.

Motion (by Mr Reith)—by leave—agreed to:

That so much of standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Leader of the Opposition speaking for a period not exceeding 16 minutes.