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Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Thursday, November 06,=20 2008

Address to the Family = Relationship Services Australia Conference

SPEECH

Senator the Hon Ursula = Stephens

Parliamentary Secretary for Social=20 Inclusion

Family Relationship Services = Australia

Inaugural National Conference

Shangri-La Hotel

The Marina Cairns

Cairns, QLD

4.30 pm, Thursday 6 November = 2008

Introduction

I would like to acknowledge the Yidinjdi people =96 the = traditional owners=20 of the land on which we stand =96 and the vibrant and living aboriginal = and Torres=20 Strait Islander culture of this region.

Congratulations. I originally heard about your plans for the = first=20 conference some time ago and now you=92ve made it. Well done! The first = is always=20 very hard and I=92m sure you=92ve learned a lot from the organising = experience.=20

I would like to thank Family=20 Relationship Services Australia for inviting me to your inaugural = National Conference. It is a real pleasure to be here among the people = who work=20 to hold families together. Families are the glue that binds. They are so = important in our lives. So your work is not only critical to the health = of our=20 communities but to the very life of our = country.

I=92m aware that I=92m speaking at the end of a long day of in = depth, and I=20 imagine at times quite technical, discussions on delivering family = relationship=20 services and child support policies, and I commend your stamina in = attending=20 this last session where I hope to set the scene for tomorrow=92s theme = of social=20 inclusion.

Before outlining the Social Inclusion Agenda, I would like to = highlight=20 some critical issues facing families. Whenever I talk about these issues = I like=20 to begin by making the point that we have seen a paradox in the past = decade =96=20 the co-existence of prosperity and severe hardship =96 and from this we = have=20 learned that economic prosperity in and of itself is simply not enough = to=20 eradicate disadvantage. For some people the hardship has been too much = to bear=20 and they have taken the decision to disengage=20 completely.

In discussions on social exclusion, I often reflect on the hard = side but=20 it is important too to take some heart from the good indicators.=20 We can draw some encouragement from a study earlier this year by = the=20 Australian Institute of Family Studies which found that children today = are=20 happier, more sociable, better behaved and sleep better than 20 years = ago.=20 Interestingly, the study shows that the fact that more children were in = formal=20 child care might be reducing children=92s overall levels of anxiety. = Positive=20 social experiences in child care are also helping children in their = interactions=20 with others.

Not quite so encouraging is another study by Quantum Market = Research=20 which found that families were the =91forgotten demographic=92 in = Australia. This is=20 despite the fact that families need more help than ever to cope in = today=92s fast=20 paced world. The study found that teenagers were seeking to be = =91re-connected=92=20 with their parents craving more time with them rather than more freedom, = while=20 parents overwhelmingly wanted to spend less time at work so they could = give=20 their children the attention they need. The same study also found that = two out=20 of three parents wished they had more sources of advice about=20 parenting.

Yet another part of the picture is presented by Professor Fiona = Stanley=20 in her book Children of the Lucky Country? It outlines a plethora of risk factors likely to lead to the = development=20 of childhood health and behavioral problems and draws on information = which shows=20 that the greatest risk factor is worsening poverty. It cites a = Queensland=20 longitudinal study which concluded that =91Family income during = pregnancy=20 predicts child cognitive development and mental health at ages 5 and = 14=92,=20 with =91the script for these children=92s = lives largely=20 written by the time they reach the age of 14.=92=20

Professor Stanley has often spoken about government policies = that enhance=20 families, or are, as she describes them, =91family=20 enabling=92.

In fact, I heard Fiona Stanley interviewed on the radio this = morning. She=20 is speaking in Melbourne tomorrow morning to a seminar which is booked = out. This=20 indicates to me that there is strong interest in the issues she is=20 raising.

Clearly, even in a society which prides itself on its = egalitarian ethos,=20 not all families are equal. While some families are doing very well = there are=20 many others that are struggling.

On average Australian children are doing well but the situation = for some=20 children is poor and the gap is widening.

That is why in this year=92s Budget, the Australian Government = provided a=20 $55 billion Working Families Support Package, designed to reward = families for=20 hard work and help them cope with the rising costs of=20 living.

Within that package was $3.9 billion targeted specifically at = families,=20 which is an indication of our strong commitment to helping families.=20

As you would be aware, the = Government asked=20 the Productivity Commission to undertake a public inquiry into the economic and social = costs and=20 benefits of paid maternity, paternity and parental leave.=20

The Commission is seeking responses to its draft report, = released in=20 September, before submitting its final report to the Government in late = February=20 2009. We=92ll be finding ways to respond positively to that=20 report.

The Government wants to find ways to make it as easy as = possible for=20 working mums and dads to balance paid work with=20 family.

But I=92m here to talk about Social Inclusion. When we first = adopted our=20 Social Inclusion Agenda we received a mad rush of enthusiasm about this = topic,=20 with many organisations immediately rebranding themselves as having a = social=20 inclusion mission and establishing within their organisations social = inclusion=20 branches. However, our Social Inclusion Agenda is not about simply = rebranding=20 previous welfare policies as =93social = inclusion.=94

The purpose of the government=92s Social Inclusion Agenda is to = reach out=20 to the most disadvantaged people and draw them into full engagement in = the=20 economic and social life of our country. Social Inclusion is both our = vision for=20 the Australian community and also the guiding principle for the policies = and=20 programs we will implement to realise this vision. =

We are aiming to do this in two ways. Firstly, we want to = improve=20 opportunities and outcomes for the most disadvantaged families in our = community.=20 Secondly, we aim to make systemic improvements to the way we develop and = implement policy and programs.

These two objectives bring with them a lot of questions. Within = all the=20 rhetoric around =93joined up=94 services and collaboration, how do we = make it a=20 reality in an environment of highly competitive tendering? How do we = best use=20 the data we collect from you and then how could we give some of that = data back=20 to you? How do we really address entrenched disadvantage in a meaningful = way?

So this is a different kind of agenda because it demands that = we think in=20 new and even radical ways.

In this context, the families we are most concerned about are = those who=20 are least advantaged. Those who have not benefited from the past decade = of=20 economic prosperity and are facing even tougher times as a consequence = of the=20 current chilly economic climate. These people represent the paradox that = has=20 characterised the past decade - the co-existence of prosperity and = severe=20 hardship =96 and from this we have learned that economic prosperity in = and of=20 itself is simply not enough to eradicate=20 disadvantage.

The persistence of disadvantage within prosperity was made = strikingly=20 apparent in a report, published in 2007, which investigated social = disadvantage=20 in Australia. Professor Tony Vinson=92s =91Dropping off the Edge=92 = report chronicles=20 almost a decade of life in our most marginalised communities.=20

Vinson found that just 1.7 per cent of postcodes and = communities across=20 Australia account for more than seven times their share of = intergenerational=20 poverty, including low income, limited computer and internet access, = early=20 school leaving, physical and mental disabilities, long-term = unemployment, prison=20 admissions and substantiated child abuse and neglect. Most disturbingly, = Vinson=20 concluded that disadvantage is intergenerational, stubbornly persisting = in the=20 same geographic locations over time.

How confronting to have your future determined by your post = code.=20 Profoundly disturbing. It=92s obvious to us that despite everyone=92s = best=20 intentions, previous policy has not done what it needed to do. So it is = time to=20 find some new approaches to end this intergenerational cycle of=20 disadvantage.

We have a vision for our nation where every Australian is fully = engaged=20 in the life of this country. I was so impressed about Barack Obama=92s = speech last=20 night because his vision for the American community strongly resonated = with me.=20 Perceptions of value are beginning to change. The obscenity of extreme = wealth=20 along side disadvantage is coming to an end with the global meltdown. It = leads=20 us to ask ourselves what is it that we value in our community? What do = we want=20 to be as a society?

We have a Prime Minister who is totally upfront about = =93nourishing the=20 soul,=94 about spirituality. And this is central to the business you do = in working=20 for the common good. This is the essence we want to capture. However, we = are not=20 so idealistic that we don=92t believe that there are costs to this more = holistic=20 approach but these are far outweighed by the=20 benefits.

So we believe that people should be able to =

=B7 <= SPAN=20 style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: = 'Arial','sans-serif'">secure a job =96 to experience the dignity of work and the = benefits that=20 brings;

=B7 =20 access services;

=B7 =20 connect with family, friends, work, personal interests and = local=20 community =96 the people who are at that long tail of disadvantage in = Australia do=20 not feel able to join the community organisations and enjoy the sense of = connectedness that that brings; =

=B7 =20 deal with personal crisis =96 the Queensland University of = Technology found=20 that 70% of the people they surveyed could not rake together $2000 in a = month.=20 That=92s a confronting reality in today=92s world. Imagine being in a = situation=20 where you needed an emergency operation or to pay for a funeral and you = couldn=92t=20 afford it. These are the kinds of situations that cause immense=20 stress.

=B7 =20 finally, and perhaps most importantly, every Australian must = have their=20 voices heard. The least advantaged in particular need to express their = opinion=20 in the knowledge that their opinion is worth listening to. There are so = many=20 Australians who don=92t have the self-esteem to think that they can = complain and=20 that=92s why our Social Inclusion Agenda is different. We are people=20 centred.

The link between Social Inclusion and the work you do in = providing family=20 relationship services is blindingly obvious, strikingly clear. One of = the Social=20 Inclusion principles I just mentioned - =93connecting with family=94 - = is perhaps=20 the most obvious example of this link.

When families fall apart, people can become cast adrift, you = know this=20 you see it everyday losing connections with important people in their = lives and=20 beginning on a negative cycle that leads ultimately to disengagement = from the=20 community. In its State of the Family Report 2008, Anglicare Australia = speaks of=20 the violence, addiction and neglect that can result when families face = household=20 stress.

The work you do in helping to heal bruised relationships or, = where=20 differences are irreconcilable, assisting couples to make thoughtful = separation=20 decisions helps preserve important connections between family members = even when=20 they separate. Your work with less advantaged families in this capacity = is=20 invaluable given the even heavier stressors these families suffer. The = work of=20 Relationships Australia Northern Territory in reaching remote Indigenous = communities is one such example of the power of the community sector to = reach=20 less advantaged families and provide them with the skills they need to = engage=20 more fully in the social life of their = community.

I said that we want to ensure that all Australians have the = capacity to=20 deal with personal crises. Family is almost always the first place we = turn for=20 support during times of distress and for advice when making important = life=20 decisions. By keeping family connections alive, you are safeguarding the = great=20 stabilising force in our community that holds people steady when they = are=20 buffeted by the storms that life can bring. =

But sometimes those storms can be too strong for families to = withstand,=20 especially those on the margins and coping with multiple disadvantages. = It is at=20 these times that a helping hand needs to be extended, not just to keep = families=20 intact, but also to build within them greater capacity for managing the=20 inevitable pressures that life can bring. Your work in teaching families = how to=20 deal with crises builds problem-solving abilities that will enable these = families and individuals to remain socially and economically engaged = with the=20 broader Australian community.

One example of this is Anglicare WA=92s innovative program = Making Ends=20 Meet, which provides a Family Support Worker who offers tips on = keeping=20 expenses down and teaches families to manage their income well. It = sounds so=20 straight forward and simple but from the ALA 2006 we find that some = Australians=20 have such low literacy skills that they can=92t read a bank statement. = It=92s a=20 program that does much more than keep facilities together, it prevents=20 homelessness. Preventing homelessness is critical because families and=20 individuals without secure housing are particularly vulnerable to other = factors=20 that can compound to result in social exclusion, such as interrupted = school=20 attendance, early school leaving and limited computer and internet=20 access.

Another example of the community sector=92s invaluable work in = building=20 social inclusion is the Home Interaction Program =96 a joint = initiative of=20 the Brotherhood of St Laurance and the Australian government. The = program=20 offers targeted help to families in their own homes and prepares = disadvantaged=20 children for school. We=92re investing more than $32 million over five = years=20 through the program to help children aged from three to five. This = adds to=20 the commitment we have to ensure all children have 15 hours of = affordable,=20 quality early learning programs each week for 40 weeks a=20 year.

So Social Inclusion is a really different way of cutting the = cake. We are=20 a people centred government. We are not a service centred government. We = are not=20 interested in retaining institutions if they are not working and = acknowledge=20 that it is very difficult to change the way people=20 operate.

So we are adopting a whole of government approach. We know we = have to=20 start with early intervention and prevention and not always work = backwards from=20 the other end.

So what are we doing about this? We have created a Minister for = Social=20 Inclusion =96 Julia Gillard =96 and a Parliamentary Secretary for Social = Inclusion =96=20 me.

We also have a Social Inclusion Board that is providing high = level=20 strategic advice, particularly advice on how to break the social = exclusion=20 cycle.

We have interdepartmental committees representing departments = that you=20 might not always think would be relevant =96 multicultural affairs, = environment,=20 the arts. So we=92re slicing these issues in a different way and then = working on=20 them with the state and territory = governments.

Most of you are in the not-for-profit sector. We are investing = in your=20 sector in ways that we believe will transform your=20 sector.

I understand that for many of you, your relationship with = government has=20 not been comfortable in the past few years. I know that some of you have = felt=20 undervalued and restrained in your conversations with government. We = want to=20 restore trust in this relationship and create a fresh partnership with = the=20 not-for-profit sector in which we can work together collaboratively and=20 creatively =96 a relationship where views and ideas can be freely = exchanged in an=20 environment of trust and respect.

Michael Raper who now works for Red Cross gave evidence at the = Senate=20 Economics Committee inquiry said something that profoundly resonated = with me.=20 =93In the competitive environment in which we worked in the past, best = practice=20 became competitive advantage.=94 My challenge is to recreate the = environment in=20 which you work. Of course you work in a tendering environment, but I = challenge=20 you to revisit your mission. You no longer need to dance to the tune of=20 government. You can make decisions about what you will and won=92t = engage in on=20 the basis of your mission=92s content.

So the Senate Economics Committee inquiry has morphed into = something that=20 is very powerful for you as a sector. Family relationships services=20 organisations have made some strong submissions. We=92ve been challenged = to think=20 on many points such as DGR status and how the impact of fringe benefit = status=20 hides the real value of staff.

The Henry Review of the tax system will also take into account = the=20 charitable sector as well. The COAG working group on deregulation will = be=20 looking at ways to help reduce your regulatory burden next=20 year.

So this has been a big, big agenda in our first year. And we = have just=20 been side-swiped by the economic crisis. Nevertheless there are many = things=20 planned for this sector that will still = happen.

The Prime Minister has made the point that it is when times get = tough=20 that our community sector becomes even more important. Because what we = have to=20 do is ensure that those who are already disadvantage aren=92t more so = because of=20 this environment.

We need to keep up our striving for a fairer Australia and work = together=20 to find ways to realign our work to the needs of these least advantaged=20 people.

As the conference title asserts =96 together we really are = better. We will=20 only realise our vision of social inclusion if we work in partnership = with each=20 other.

Thank you.