ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to start by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet this afternoon, the Ngunnawal people.
I wish to also acknowledge:
- Professor Peter McDonald, Director of the Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute;
- Members of the Institute’s external advisory board;
- Professor Ian Chubb, Vice Chancellor of Australian National University;
- Dr Ken Henry, Secretary of the Treasury, and;
- My Parliamentary colleagues.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am delighted to have been invited to ‘do the honours’ today on behalf of the Deputy Prime Minister in launching the Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute.
Julia passes on her best wishes, and is sorry she couldn’t be here for the opening of an institute truly dedicated to research and training in demographic and social policy.
The Australian National University boasts a world-wide reputation as a leading academic training and research institution. I have no doubt the opening of this institute will further enhance this well-deserved global recognition.
WORKING TOGETHER TO BRING ABOUT SOCIAL INCLUSION
Since coming to power last year, the Rudd Government has proven its strong commitment to social policy with the establishment of our ambitious new policy framework; Social Inclusion.
The founding of your institute is thus very timely, as the Government explores how it can best work in partnership with the business and not-for-profit sectors on our social inclusion journey.
I welcome the enormous contribution I’m sure the institute will make to inform social inclusion policy development through its research into 21st Century population and social dynamics in Australia and the region.
It’s an interesting and challenging time.
Like many countries all over the world, Australia has experienced radical changes borne of technological advances, globalisation and changing demographics.
Globalisation has brought new international dimensions to the labour market, making skilled labour and technological competency essential survival elements in a competitive global marketplace.
There is also the challenge of having fewer working age people in the labour force in the future, due to our ageing population.
We believe Australia needs to adapt to these changes in:
- the way that the labour market operates and the way people need to work;
- family structures, and;
- the population structure.
We need – and the Government is committed to – long-term vision to meet these changes.
Today too many Australians are struggling. We are talking about the 100,000 Australians who are without a home every night, and we are talking about the one-in-four job-seekers who’ve been unemployed for five or more years. We’re also talking about the 1.7% of postcodes that Tony Vinson found account for more than seven times their share of the major factors that cause poverty and disadvantage.
Communities that are prisoners of inter-generational poverty, joblessness, mental illness, low education levels, drug and alcohol abuse, and disability.
Social Inclusion will require a significant change in the way we deliver policy and services to those Australians and communities that need them most. This means putting people back at the centre of policy development; no easy task.
And it will mean that national economic and social policies will no longer be working at cross purposes.
The Government will need to coordinate policies across national, state and local governments – in partnership with business and the non-profit sector – to ensure that no Australian is left out of the economic and social life of our nation.
Australia’s long-term prosperity depends on securing the full social and economic participation of all Australians. If not, we will pay a high price for peoples’ ongoing marginalisation in the decades ahead.
So what are the answers? How do we create better social equity?
The solutions lie in social innovation – we have to be innovators when it comes to social policy. And this is why your work in the Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute will be an important consideration in the way the Government will prioritise and implement its social inclusion initiatives.
The causes of social exclusion are complex, and together, we must work to understand and address the array of different barriers stopping a person from participating.
Holistic, evidence-based solutions are essential – formed with advice from sound, well-resourced social policy think tanks. Centres of research where the theory and practice of social inclusion are pulled together from many angles; to develop theoretical analysis and concrete, real-world solutions.
The onus will be on you to help us determine what programs and initiatives are working, and which ones are not.
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING ABOUT SOCIAL INCLUSION
The Government’s Social Inclusion Agenda recognises the importance of giving all Australians the opportunity to:
- secure a job;
- access services;
- connect with family, friends, work and their local community;
- deal with crises, and;
- have their voices heard.
It’s important to note this is not a reiteration of the previous Government’s welfare-to-work reform process. Through this policy framework, we are changing the direction of social policy and focusing on fairness and equality.
In doing so, we understand the connection between economics and social policy, and how they can work to the benefit of both. Failure to adapt and modernise social policy increases the risk of unemployment, poverty and social exclusion. Sound economic policies cannot be sustained if inequality is left unaddressed.
The Government’s Social Inclusion agenda is designed to provide Australians with the opportunity to improve their living standards in both social and economic terms; it goes beyond poverty or ensuring minimum income standards.
We must ask why exclusion exists, what the barriers are, and who is doing the excluding. One-size-fits-all policies are not good enough. What works in one place may not work in another, so a flexible approach will be the key.
We have already made our initial down-payments, with significant commitments in the areas of early childhood education; school retention; homelessness; literacy and numeracy; and Indigenous health, education and employment.
We are also working on a National Mental Health and Disability Employment Strategy, and a White Paper to guide our approach to beating homelessness over the coming decade.
The Government is building a framework to provide meaningful support for disadvantaged job-seekers, helping the most vulnerable Australians into sustainable work through a simpler, more effective and better targeted employment services system.
The new Social Inclusion Board recently held its first meeting – bringing together eminent leading minds in the welfare and business sectors. The Board is consulting widely and is supported by the Social Inclusion Unit, inside the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
The Board members have made it clear they will work hard to help develop evidence-based, innovative solutions and whole-of-government strategies.
There is also a Social Inclusion Committee of Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, to drive coordination.
Social Inclusion demands that we embrace partnerships with the business and non-profit sectors, and all levels of government, to develop opportunities for all Australians.
CONCLUSION
I say again, to realise our social inclusion goals, we will need robust data and evidence-based policies that reflect a range of perspectives. Government does not have all the answers, and I believe the research and training provided through the Australian Demographic and Social Policy Research Institute will make a significant contribution.
The opening of the Institute today is testament to the commitment of the ANU to add value to social policy research both here in Australia and overseas.
I congratulate everyone involved for your commitment to the Institute’s development and the valuable research you will undertake. You have a lot to be proud of today.
To all the staff and the students involved in making this happen, I wish you every success in your future endeavours.
And so, it is now my great pleasure to declare the Australian Demographic and Social Policy Research Institute open.