051000

SPEECH BY

MARJORIE THORPE

EXECUTIVE MEMBER
COUNCIL FOR ABORIGINAL RECONCILIATION

AT THE

SAMBELL ORATION 2000 PROGRAM

The Role of the Welfare Sector in Advancing the Position of Aboriginal People in the Broader Australian Community

BROTHERHOOD OF ST LAURENCE

MELBOURNE

Thursday 5 October 2000

Ladies and gentlemen, Sandy Clark, Bishop Challen and Judy Challen, Bishop Frances and other distinguished guests, I thank you for this opportunity to speak to you.

I have been asked by the Brotherhood of St Laurence to speak for an hour and, as well as presenting my ideas to you, I would like to talk to you - to have a yarn - so we may listen to each other and understand a little more about one another and, of course, learn a little more about our roles in the community and in reconciliation. I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have during my time here.

I�ll begin by acknowledging that we are here today on the country of the Kulin nation, the traditional owners of this region of Australia. In keeping with a tradition of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, I acknowledge the living culture of the Kulin nation and the unique contribution they make to the life of this region. Joy, thank you for your welcome to country.

The subject of this oration is �the role of the welfare sector in advancing the position of Aboriginal people in the broader Australian community.� I have thought long and hard about this and, over the years, I have spoken to many people and sectors about this issue of social welfare and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. It is indeed a complex matter and the nature and extent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social problems are deep and wide. Though there have been some improvements in the areas of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, housing, education and employment over the last forty years, these improvements have had little impact on the everyday circumstances of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

Only this week, I had a discussion with a group of representatives from various sectors here in Melbourne and I recall saying to Ian Spicer, a fellow Council member, "there is much good will in the community but for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians to move forward in our society it requires a monumental shift in our thinking and attitudes across many areas but none more so than our approach to the social welfare of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples." Let me explain what I mean by this comment.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have seen many different approaches to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social welfare. Some of these approaches, such as children being removed from their families, were cruel. Others have been downright patronising, and Aboriginal people have had to accept handouts � even food instead of wages � from people who had not acknowledged that the reason for Aboriginal disadvantage is a direct result of our dispossession from our homelands and traditional livelihood.

These varied approaches have impacted on many generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. And, as the years have passed by, few approaches to the welfare of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have been successful, particularly in regards to the improvement of our social situation.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are a small proportion of our overall population but we still experience significant disadvantage and still do not enjoy the level of well-being enjoyed by the wider community. I have asked myself why is this so? Why are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, with the funding and establishment of so many social welfare programs, still at the bottom of the social heap. Why do we still have high rates of unemployment and incarceration and continual problems in the area of health and education? Why do we have so many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples dependent on welfare? There are many reasons - some I will outline later on - but like my friend and Aboriginal leader, Noel Pearson, I believe that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have descended into passive welfare dependency which has impacted greatly on our ability to take control of our everyday lives. As Noel said in his recent Ben Chifley Memorial Lecture "welfare dependency has taken a huge toll on our people, and the social problems which it has precipitated in our families and communities have had a cancerous effect on our relationships and values."

An example of this cancerous effect is evident with many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people having little sense of self-worth and feeling they no longer have anything to offer their community.

Over the years, this loss of confidence has been passed from one generation to the next until, in some cases, there is an expectation you don�t have to do anything to �better your lot� but just sit and wait for the next welfare cheque to come in. This has eroded whole communities and has had a devastating effect on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and families who have no positive vision for their future.

I believe welfare dependency has greatly inhibited Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities� capacity to move away from the structures of welfare into structures that empower communities to define their social problems and to work together and with others, to resolve these problems. In his Ben Chifley lecture, Noel often refers to the horrendous social problems of his people on the Cape York Peninsula, such as alcoholism, violence and incarceration. He spoke of the immersion of a whole community�s dependence on welfare. He went on to say:

"what is the exception among white fellas � almost complete dependence from cash handouts from the government � is the rule for us. Rather than the income support safety net being a temporary solution for our peoples� this safety net has become a permanent destination." In his community, Noel has seen a breakdown of values and relationships and the social deterioration once people became dependent on welfare. Whilst this welfare dependency wheel keeps turning, the people from Cape York have no opportunity - no chance - to regain any of the dignities and the strength of values that are so deserved of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. You may now be asking, how is this relevant to the subject matter of this oration posed by the Brotherhood?

I believe for the welfare sector to play a more effective role, service providers must understand the long term effects of their service on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. You must work with us to effect a change of attitudes throughout the whole society. As Noel Pearson says we need to �reform welfare.� We need to develop a new consensus around our commitment to welfare. This consensus needs to be built on the principles of personal and family empowerment and investment and utilisation of resources to achieve lasting change. In other words our motivation to reform welfare must be based on the principle that dependency and passivity are a scourge and must be avoided at all costs. I understand, the Brotherhood of St Laurence, in its delivery of welfare programs to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, has, to an extent, embraced this notion. In the delivery of the Koori Community Aged Care Programs, I understand carers are encouraged to find a balance when assisting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander elders. They are required to work out when they should assist an elder and when not to intervene so the elder can independently work through a situation. These principles obviously should be applied to all aged care recipients. As well, the Brotherhood is working with Koori aged care workers so that the Aged Care program will continue to be successfully implemented and managed when transferred to a Koori agency.

It is steps such as these that lead the way in reforming our attitudes and our way of thinking when delivering welfare programs. It is also these steps that are empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities to take charge and enabling them to play a vital role in the delivery of programs to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

One of the catchcries of reconciliation has been �working together� and the Council has consistently found that where people � both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal � work as teams, in partnership � Council has seen positive outcomes not only in terms of the end result but also in people learning to trust and respect each other. To succeed reconciliation, requires understanding which will lessen the fear of change or reform so we all may share more equitably in Australia�s land, wealth and resources and contribute equitably to the nation�s economic, social and cultural life.

Today, in our just society, the majority of Australians find it unacceptable the levels of disadvantage experienced by many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. For reconciliation to grow in the life of this nation, these differences in experience must be addressed.

For nearly a decade, the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation has sought ways for people, communities and organisations to work together to address these high levels of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander disadvantage in all its forms. The work of the Council, which has focused on ways to bring the nation together, culminates in its National reconciliation documents. These documents, while they honour the many achievements, the documents also recognise that much remains to be done towards the goal of true reconciliation. Council�s Roadmap for Reconciliation contains four strategies for the nation to work together on the road to reconciliation. These national strategies are:

Sustaining the reconciliation process;
Promoting recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Rights
Overcoming disadvantage; and
Achieving economic independence.

I would like to expand a little more on the two national strategies, overcoming disadvantage and achieving economic independence as they are intrinsic to the theme of this presentation. The history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander disadvantage began with the dispossession of land and the displacement of people. Discrimination, the intergenerational effects of poverty and the loss of autonomy have exacerbated the situation. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples often face prejudice when trying to rent a home, find employment, get service in shops and banks, and do the everyday things that most Australians take for granted. Disadvantage in one area increases the likelihood of disadvantage in other areas. Poor sanitation affects health, as does poor or inappropriate housing.

Career progression to middle and senior levels often requires tertiary education. Being poor and unemployed statistically lowers self-esteem and increases illness, death and the likelihood of arrest and imprisonment, just as poor health and limited educational achievement affects employability and career progression. Ultimately, all Australians benefit from a united effort to address Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander disadvantage. As Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander disadvantage is overcome, the economy grows and the need for government expenditure is decreased. At the same time, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples will be better placed to fulfil their cultural, social and economic aspirations and make an even greater contribution to the life of the nation. There are no simple "quick fix" solutions to turning around the levels of disadvantage that have been many generations in the making. To go forward we must learn from the past, trust each other and build on good practice, recognising that there are successful public, private and community sector programs and initiatives that have made substantial inroads.

Addressing disadvantage places responsibilities on those providing support and assistance and on those receiving it. For those who provide support there is a duty to those being assisted. For example, it means that service providers should: work in partnership with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities; recognise and understand the cultures and histories of Australia�s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the consequences of past policies and practices; and build the capacity of local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to help themselves. For those being assisted, there is the responsibility to help themselves as best as they can. This may involve seeking out information about available services, helping service providers to improve delivery outcomes, and recognising and tackling personal barriers to improvement.

Some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have identified that taking responsibility in education and employment is an essential part of the way forward. In other communities, the importance of individual and family commitment to a healthy lifestyle has been emphasised. For example, Barbara Flick, former Executive Director of the Apunipima Cape York Health Council, noted in her response to a government health initiative that:

"Meeting these targets will also require our own people to take responsibility for implementing some lifestyle changes if the problems of obesity, diabetes and substance abuse are to be improved." Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience substantial economic disadvantage in the areas of wealth, employment and income in comparison with other Australians. In part, this disadvantage is due to a legacy of limited employment opportunities, a history of working for rations rather than wages, educational disadvantage and location barriers. These factors limit the opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to achieve a greater level of economic independence. With economic independence, individuals and communities will have increased opportunities, a broader range of life choices and a great sense of empowerment and achievement. In its national strategies Council has identified actions that individuals and organisations can take to make reconciliation a reality. The sorts of things that you can do include:

ensuring that mainstream programs and services are accessible, culturally sensitive, appropriate and responsive to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

collaborating, supporting and sharing expertise with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service providers to facilitate their empowerment.

training all staff in anti-racism strategies and providing new staff with regionally specific Indigenous cultural education/training;

employing and training more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff at all levels;

improving data collection systems and Indigenous client identification in data collections to improve needs-based planning and benchmarking; and

actively involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the service they receive.

Welfare programs and services are necessary in a civil society. However, they are neither the best nor the only solution for addressing disadvantage in health, housing, employment, education, law and justice. For many people, welfare programs have not resulted in independence or self-reliance. Local, Territory, State and Federal governments and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission have collective social responsibilities to their constituents and we all have the responsibility to ensure that programs and services do not produce welfare dependency or other unintended consequences.

We have a monumental - but not insurmountable - task ahead of us. The responsibility to advance the position of Aboriginal people in the broader Australian community does not just fall on the welfare sector, it falls on each and every one of us, on our society as a whole. The Brotherhood of St Laurence has done some good work in its delivery of service to the Aboriginal population and I thank you most warmly for this opportunity and urge you to hang on in there with us because together we can make a difference.

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