The business of Indigenous affairs

An innovative, responsive, agile approach

Shared Responsibility Agreements and Indigenous Co-ordination Centres were at the heart of a new more innovative, and responsive approach to Indigenous Affairs that began under the Howard government. Indigenous communities could nominate initiatives, programs and policies that they need and want from the different Federal agencies through the ICCs in a monitored whole-of-government approach. In return, Indigenous communities had to negotiate some mutual obligation requirements.

For Indigenous affairs, this represented an enormous shift in public service practice and delivery. The progress made, for example, with “no school, no pool” initiatives was heartening. Witness the rapid decline of trachoma among the young in the Mulan community following its “washing-faces-for-a-new-petrol-bowser” deal with the government. Communities appeared to be enthusiastic.

Moving ahead with cautious optimism

Australian policy makers have been slow to realise that private property ownership and workforce participation would be healthy for Indigenous peoples. Despite the gains in land rights, the capacity for greater economic independence was diminished.

What is needed is an ongoing commitment to an Indigenous Economic Independence Strategy, based on two underlying considerations: first, rejecting the notion that Indigenous people are lesser economic beings; second, challenging a welfare culture in favour of an entrepreneurial culture. This is as noble a cause as political equality or addressing dispossession.

The way out of welfare is to build workforce participation and to find the economic and social multipliers that create opportunity and reduce hardship. The way forward needs effective public service delivery of education, health and other essential services. At the same time, recognising some labour markets are limited. Programs of community development should remain an integral component of the new approach; but not  becoming a substitute for real economic participation.

More Indigenous Australians must be given hope and opportunities to participate in the market and economy. Prerequisites for Indigenous economic independence include: gaining a job, owning property, building future generation wealth. If practical reconciliation means anything, it means this.