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The Senate
Reconciliation Inquiry report, Reconciliation: Off track,
recommends action which needs to be taken by the Federal Government
as well as State and Territory Governments, to advance reconciliation.
You can help
by writing letters to the Federal Minister, Amanda Vanstone, and
to your State or Territory Premier or Chief Minister, urging them
to act on the recommendations of the Inquiry.
The following
provides a guide to writing letters. There are 3 versions below:
1. Letter to Federal Minister, Amanda Vanstone
2. Letter to NSW Premier, Bob Carr
3. Letter to other Premiers / Chief Ministers.
Try to
personalise your letters as much as possible as this will give them
greater impact.
1. Letter
to Federal Minister, Amanda Vanstone.
Senator the
Hon Amanda Vanstone
Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs
Suite MF 40
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Intro:
Why you are writing letter (eg as supporter of reconciliation and
Indigenous rights). Mention if member or supporter of ANTaR.
Background:
The Senate Legal and Constitutional Committee recently reported
on its inquiry into progress on national reconciliation. It was
an opportunity for the nation to re-focus its attention on the final
recommendations of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (CAR)
at the end of the 10-year formal process of reconciliation.
First point:
The Committee's report focused heavily on the Council of Australian
Governments (COAG) process. Adopting CAR's recommendation, COAG
has committed to a national framework to overcome Indigenous disadvantage.
The COAG process emphasises four things:
- setting a
baseline so that the impact of new policies and programs can be
measured ('indicators')
- setting agreed
targets to overcome disadvantage in particular areas like health
and education ('benchmarks')
- taking action
to achieve those targets ('action plans')
- measuring
whether the action succeeded in reaching the targeted improvements
(evaluation and accountability).
The Committee
found progress in COAG was slow and patchy. For example there was
no evidence to the Committee on setting targets in health, in community
services, in housing and in employment. It also pointed to a lack
of progress on action plans in several key areas. The Ministerial
Council (MCATSIA) has direct responsibility for co-ordinating and
monitoring action under the COAG framework and the Committee said
MCATSIA has put insufficent effort into driving the agenda. I seek
your reply to the following questions: ·
- What will
you do to fix this problem and lift MCATSIA's performance? ·
- What specific
outcomes will you insist be achieved in the next 12 months of
the COAG process?
- Will you
adopt the Committee's recommendation that agency CEOs report on
Indigenous-related programs as part of their performance agreements?
·
- Will agencies
have to report on Indigenous-related outcomes in their annual
reports?
Second point:
The COAG process was only one of six final recommendations made
by CAR in 2000. To date the COAG process reflects the Commonwealth's
narrow focus on socio-economic disadvantage. ·
- What will
you do to broaden COAG's policy framework beyond 'practical reconciliation'
so that it moves forward on the broader agenda for change set
out in CAR's final report, including cultural, spiritual and human
rights issues?
These issues
are, as the Committee said, integral to achieving reconciliation.
More broadly: ·
- What will
you do to advance the legal recognition of Indigenous rights and
the resolution of Unfinished Business, including a formal process
for resolving issues never properly addressed in the taking of
this land without treaty or consent?
Third point:
There are a number of other important issues covered in the Committee's
report. ·
- Will the
Commonwealth accept and implement all of the Committee's 20 recommendations?
·
- If not, which
ones does the Commonwealth reject and why? ·
- When will
you provide the public with a full response to the Committee's
report?
I note that,
under your predecessor Mr Ruddock, it took the Commonwealth Government
almost two years before it responded to CAR's Report and it only
did so after the Senate inquiry was announced. As the Senate Committee
has largely reaffirmed the blueprint published by CAR in 2000, it
should not take the Government long to digest the report. I look
forward to seeing the Commonwealth's formal response to the Committee's
report published imminently. In the meantime I look forward to your
reply to my specific questions contained in this letter.
your sincerely
2. Letter
to NSW Premier, Bob Carr: back
to top
The Hon Bob
Carr MP
Premier
of New South Wales
Level 40 Governor Macquarie Tower
1 Farrer Place
Sydney NSW 2000
Intro:
Why I am writing this letter (eg as supporter of reconciliation
and Indigenous rights who lives in NSW). Mention if member or supporter
of ANTaR.
Background:
The Senate Legal and Constitutional Committee recently reported
on its inquiry into progress on national reconciliation. This was
an opportunity to put reconciliation back on the national political
agenda and particularly to focus on the final recommendations of
the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (CAR).
First point:
Share the strong disappointment of the Committee that alone
amongst State and Territory governments, the NSW Government did
not provide a submission to the inquiry, despite repeated requests
from the Committee. ·
- Can you explain
how this could happen? ·
- Does it indicate
that your Government has changed its policy or abandoned the strong
support for reconciliation it expressed in 2000, the final year
of the Council's deliberations? ·
- What do
you intend doing to repair this damaging perception?
Second point:
The Committee's report focused heavily on the Council of Australian
Governments (COAG) process. Adopting CAR's recommendation, COAG
has committed to a national framework to overcome Indigenous disadvantage.
The COAG process emphasises four things:
- setting a
baseline ('indicators')
- setting agreed
targets to overcome disadvantage in particular areas like health
and education ('benchmarks')
- taking action
to achieve those targets ('action plans')
- measuring
whether the action succeeded in reaching the targeted improvements
(evaluation and accountability).
The Committee
found progress in COAG was slow and patchy. For example there was
no evidence to the Committee on setting targets in health, in community
services, in housing and in employment. The Committee also pointed
to a lack of progress on action plans in several key areas. You
lead the largest State Government in COAG. ·
- Will you
take a leadership role in lifting COAG's performance? ·
- What specific
outcomes will you insist be achieved in the next 12 months of
the COAG process? ·
- What action
will take place in NSW in the priority areas of disadvantage?
·
- Will you
adopt the Committee's idea of requiring agency CEOs to report
on Indigenous-related programs as part of their performance agreements?
·
- Will NSW
agencies have to report on Indigenous-related outcomes in their
annual reports?
Third point:
The COAG process was only one of six final recommendations made
by CAR in 2000. The Committee criticised the Commonwealth for focusing
solely on socio-economic disadvantage through its policy of 'practical
reconciliation'. To date the COAG process reflects this narrow focus.
·
- What will
you do to broaden COAG's policy framework beyond 'practical reconciliation'
so that it moves forward on the broader agenda for change set
out in CAR's final report, including cultural, spiritual and human
rights issues? ·
- More broadly,
what will you do to advance the the legal recognition of Indigenous
rights and the resolution of Unfinished Business, including a
formal process for resolving issues never properly addressed in
the taking of this land without treaty or consent?
Look forward
to your prompt reply to the specific questions raised in this letter.
3. Letter
to other Premiers and Chief Ministers: back
to top
Intro:
Why I am writing this letter (eg as supporter of reconciliation
and Indigenous rights who lives in NSW). Mention if member or supporter
of ANTaR.
Background:
The Senate Legal and Constitutional Committee recently reported
on its inquiry into progress on national reconciliation. This was
an opportunity to put reconciliation back on the national political
agenda and particularly to focus on the final recommendations of
the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (CAR).
Second point:
The Committee's report focused heavily on the Council of Australian
Governments (COAG) process. Adopting CAR's recommendation, COAG
has committed to a national framework to overcome Indigenous disadvantage.
The COAG process emphasises four things:
- setting a
baseline ('indicators')
- setting agreed
targets to overcome disadvantage in particular areas like health
and education ('benchmarks')
- taking action
to achieve those targets ('action plans')
- measuring
whether the action succeeded in reaching the targeted improvements
(evaluation and accountability).
The Committee
found progress in COAG was slow and patchy. For example there was
no evidence to the Committee on setting targets in health, in community
services, in housing and in employment. The Committee also pointed
to a lack of progress on action plans in several key areas. You
lead the largest State Government in COAG. ·
- Will you
take a leadership role in lifting COAG's performance? ·
- What specific
outcomes will you insist be achieved in the next 12 months of
the COAG process? ·
- What action
will take place in NSW in the priority areas of disadvantage?
·
- Will you
adopt the Committee's idea of requiring agency CEOs to report
on Indigenous-related programs as part of their performance agreements?
·
- Will NSW
agencies have to report on Indigenous-related outcomes in their
annual reports?
Third point:
The COAG process was only one of six final recommendations made
by CAR in 2000. The Committee criticised the Commonwealth for focusing
solely on socio-economic disadvantage through its policy of 'practical
reconciliation'. To date the COAG process reflects this narrow focus.
·
- What will
you do to broaden COAG's policy framework beyond 'practical reconciliation'
so that it moves forward on the broader agenda for change set
out in CAR's final report, including cultural, spiritual and human
rights issues? ·
- More broadly,
what will you do to advance the the legal recognition of Indigenous
rights and the resolution of Unfinished Business, including a
formal process for resolving issues never properly addressed in
the taking of this land without treaty or consent?
Look forward
to your prompt reply to the specific questions raised in this letter.
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