Rudd Government - Social Policy - Indigenous Affairs

Indigenous Affairs

As the parliament's first order of business, on 13 February 2008, Rudd read an apology directed to Indigenous Australians for the stolen generations. The apology, on behalf of successive parliaments and governments, passed as a motion by both houses of parliament, and was publicly well received; most criticisms were of Labor for refusing to provide victims with monetary compensation as recommended in the Bringing them Home report, and that the apology would not alleviate disadvantage amongst Indigenous Australians. Rudd pledged the government to bridging the gap between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australian health, education and living conditions. By signing the historic Close the Gap Statement of Intent, Rudd committed the government to achieving health equality in a way that respects the rights of indigenous people.

One year after the apology, Michael Mansell, Amnesty International and stolen generations victim Marjorie Woodrow called for the government to provide reparations as recommended in the Bringing them home report. In the first of the government's so-called 'indigenous report cards', delivered each year to parliament, Rudd said that new eye and ear health funding had been secured; noted that 80 houses for indigenous Australians had been built; said that the government had continued the NT Intervention; and gave his personal support to an initiative led by mining magnate Andrew Forrest to provide 50,000 indigenous jobs.

One of the government's first reforms was to the maintenance of Indigenous housing, 95 per cent of which was federally administered. Many Indigenous housing organizations are being wound down, with state and territory governments responsible for managing of all fields of community housing. Currently, community housing in the Northern Territory has a life cycle of less than ten years.

In May 2009, the Rudd government handed over financial responsibility for 500 outstations – small communities in the Northern Territory – to the state government. Under a policy called A Working Future, the state set out $160 million to develop 20 "Territory growth towns" into hubs for surrounding communities. The towns would become economic and service centres, delivering all education and health services for the region and forcing people to move to be treated for diabetes, kidney and heart problems. Acting upon the advice of Patrick Dodson, the state agreed to maintain the $32 million of federal funding already in place for outstations. However, no new settlements would be approved, spelling an end for the Return to Country movement.

After two and a half years, the government's $672 million Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program (SIHIP) has built only 11 of a planned 750 houses, and further funds will be required for the project to retain its 2013 target completion date.