Not one but seven priorities for the third Howard Government

Schools

Australia’s future will in large part be determined by the quality of education available to our children. Seventy percent of Australian children attend public schools, yet insufficient resourcing of government schools is reducing the quality of education for these Australian children.

The Government’s decision to direct additional recurrent funding to private schools serving Australia’s most affluent communities has not only aggravated divisions within the community but also undermined the potential of education to create a more just and fair Australia.

The same system of determining Federal recurrent funding may force our newer, low-fee Anglican schools, established to serve developing areas, to raise their fees. Clearly, the whole arrangement needs to be reviewed.

Reconciliation

Regrettably, little attention was given to reconciliation during the recent Federal election campaign. Yet we see evidence every day that the people of Australia respond with generosity and care when they understand the need for reconciliation.

In this context, we are mindful of the contribution that practical measures can make to the cause of reconciliation- such as concerted efforts to tackle poverty, violence and poor health among indigenous Australians. Government initiatives in these critical areas are to be applauded, although much more needs to be done.

Aboriginal and Islander Australians in particular, supported by millions of their fellow Australians, look to their national leaders for generosity of spirit in the quest for national reconciliation.

The newly-elected Federal Government might demonstrate its commitment to reconciliation- and its capacity for leadership- by reconsidering its attitude to a symbolically significant statement of apology.