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This paper is about one of the biggest challenges facing Australia in the 21st century: balancing paid work and family responsibilities. It's about how we live today, and how we want to live tomorrow. It's about valuing care, valuing families, and valuing happiness.

There is an urgent need for sound policy in Indigenous affairs. Chapter 1 of the Social Justice Report 2006 considers what some of the key elements of good Indigenous policy making are.

In my 2005 Social Justice Report1, I argued that it was unacceptable for a country as rich as ours, and one based on the notion of the ‘fair go’ and the ‘level playing field’, to tolerate the gross health inequality that has existed between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians for at long as records have been kept. I called for action, and I made recommendations that set out a broad path to bring it to an end as soon as practicable.

The Commonwealth has some statutory obligations to set standards: eg, under the Quarantine Act 1908 (see below), and the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 (to provide a national framework for the regulation of therapeutic goods in Australia and ensure their quality, safety and efficacy).

a) A minimalist response to symbolic issues b) The perceived divisiveness of self-determination c) An emphasis on perceived areas of agreement d) Misrepresenting progress towards practical reconciliation

8.1 Introduction 8.2 The universal nature of care 8.3 Support for carers combining paid work and caring 8.4 Supporting the diverse needs of carers 8.5 Government provision of formal care for older people 8.6 Greater availability of formal care to meet growing need 8.7 Specialist disability services 8.8 Conclusion

The discussion paper was commissioned by my predecessor, Dr Blewett, as part of the Federal Government's disability reform agenda. Prepared by Ms Chris Ronalds, with assistance from the Labour Research Centre, the paper addresses the following issues:

To develop a nationwide picture of existing government initiatives that address family violence, the Social Justice Commissioner sent correspondence to all State, Territory and relevant Australian government departments[1] requesting information on their policies and programs during the period 2006-2007.

In recent years a mutual obligation approach has been adopted to reform public policy on welfare and employment issues. There has been much discussion about the applicability of this approach within an Indigenous policy context. It is seen by many as consistent with Indigenous cultural values such as reciprocity and an emphasis on community, as well as suggesting an antidote to the damage caused by intergenerational poverty, of which long-term welfare dependency and a crippling short-term local cash economy are often features.

As I reflect on the events that have taken place during the reporting period from 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2011, I see cause for optimism whilst also acknowledging there are still some areas that remain a concern. Over the last year we have reached some major milestones. For instance, we have seen the election of the two co-chairs and a board to the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples (National Congress), and we are also now engaged in a conversation with the Australian people about how we go about recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in our Constitution.

This appendix provides an overview of the main events leading up to the introduction of the new arrangements for the administration of Indigenous affairs on 1 July 2004, as well as the key events which have occurred since that time to implement the new arrangements.

The deep-seated and complex nature of Indigenous disadvantage calls for policies and programs which are patient and supportive of enduring change... A long-term investment approach is needed, accompanied by a sustained process of continuous engagement... The new policy framework developed by COAG (as reflected in the National Indigenous Reform Agreement and the Closing the Gap strategy) represents ...

2.1 Introduction 2.2 What the Australian community told us 2.3 Responding to conflicts in paid work and caring responsibilities 2.4 Paid and unpaid work and the national interest: Prosperity and social wellbeing 2.5 Conclusion