Ministerial Statement Response to Public Accounts Committee Report No.28 on the Provision of Health Services to Aboriginal People in the Northern Territory
Tabled Paper 3097
Tabled Papers for 7th Assembly 1994 - 1997; Tabled papers; Tabled Papers; ParliamentNT
1997-02-26
Made available by the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory under Standing Order 240. Where copyright subsists with a third party it remains with the original owner and permission may be required to reuse the material.
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https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00042
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/289885
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/403373
FINALLY MR SPEAKER, I COME TO RECOMMENDATION 54, WHICH ASKS THAT THE OFFICE OF ABORIGINAL DEVELOPMENT BE RESOURCED TO FINALISE THE ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES DATABASE AND THAT AGENCIES INPUT THEIR INFORMATION ABOUT ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES INTO THE DATABASE ON AN ONGOING BASIS SO THAT ALL AGENCIES WILL BENEFIT FROM THE CONSOLIDATED INFORMATION. WHILE SOLID INFORMATION THAT IS SHARED BETWEEN AGENCIES, AND BETWEEN AGENCIES AND COMMUNITIES, IS AN UNDOUBTED NECESSITY, IT IS NOT CLEAR AT THIS STAGE WHETHER THE OAD PACKAGE IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE SOLUTION. FOR THE COMMITTEES INTENT TO BE ACHIEVED, FURTHER INQUIRY IS REQUIRED. FUTURE HEALTH DIRECTIONS AS I SAID AT THE OUTSET, THE NORTHERN TERRITORY GOVERNMENT STANDS BY THIS REPORT AND THE PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING ITS RECOMMENDATIONS. I TRUST THAT BY ARTICULATING SOME OF THE SPECIFIC WAYS IN WHICH WE WOULD WANT TO QUALIFY THE GOVERNMENT'S ACTIONS, TESTIMONY IS GIVEN TO SERIOUSNESS WITH WHICH ABORIGINAL HEALTH SERVICE PROVISION IS VIEWED. THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE REPORT ARE CLEAR: TO ERADICATE THE GAP IN HEALTH STATUS BETWEEN ABORIGINAL AND OTHER TERRITORIANS,WE NEED TO EMPHASISE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INFANT AND ADULT HEALTH; COORDINATE THE EFFORTS OF ALL HEALTH SERVICE PROVIDERS; ELIMINATE DUPLICATION OR CONTRADICTORY EFFORT. INCREASE OUR EMPHASIS ON PREVENTIVE PROGRAMS, AND PROMOTE GREATER COMMUNITY CONTROL AND RESPONSIBILITY. INTERSECTORAL EFFORTS AIMED AT ADDRESSING THE UNDERLYING CAUSES OF ILL-HEALTH - SUCH AS LOW LEVELS OF LITERACY AND NUMERACY, POOR LIVING CONDITIONS, AND INACCESSIBILITY - MUST RECEIVE GREATER ATTENTION. I MAKE NO APOLOGY IN AGAIN MAKING A CALL FOR ABORIGINAL PEOPLE TO DO MORE ABOUT THEIR HEALTH; TO AFFORD HEALTH A HIGHER STATUS, PARTICULARLY IN RELATION TO CHILDREN AND FRAIL COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE DEPENDENT UPON OTHERS FOR THEIR HEALTH STATUS. BEFORE ANYBODY RESORTS TO LABELLING WHAT I AM SAYING AS "VICTIM BLAMING", I SUGGEST WE ALL TAKE A LONG HARD LOOK AT THE CHART ON PAGE 29 OF THE P.A.C REPORT. WHILE IT IS NOTED THAT LIVING CONDITIONS CAN AND DO IMPACT SERIOUSLY ON HEALTH, IT IS TOO EASY TO FALL INTO THE TRAP OF RUNNING THE