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ABC News
7 minutes ago
- ABC News
Victoria's First Peoples' Assembly reveals proposed treaty-backed powers to create new education facility
Victoria's First Peoples' Assembly will be given the power to establish its own educational institute under the forthcoming statewide treaty agreement, the ABC can reveal. The revelation is one of the first practical outcomes to be detailed following nine months of negotiations between the elected Victorian Aboriginal body and the Victorian government. A bill to legislate Victoria's nation-leading treaty agreement — which is now in the final stages of drafting — is expected to be introduced into parliament in the coming weeks. While there has been a number of public updates on the progress of Victoria's treaty negotiations, the full details of the agreement, including what it will cost, remain confidential. For the first time, the First Peoples' Assembly has outlined it intends to build an Aboriginal-run, education institute that will provide targeted skills and leadership training to First Peoples. It will be called 'The First Peoples' Institute'. The Statewide Treaty Bill will facilitate the legal changes required before the signing of the treaty agreement, which is expected to happen later this year. While the bill still requires cabinet and parliamentary approval, under treaty, the First Peoples' Assembly expects to be empowered to create Aboriginal-led initiatives like its proposed 'First Peoples' Institute'. Assembly co-chair Rueben Berg told the ABC that through treaty, the First Peoples' Assembly will build new institutions to support community needs and self-determination. Mr Berg said the educational institute, which the ABC understands will be built slowly over decades, will help address higher education gaps in the Aboriginal community and boost the existing Aboriginal workforce to "meets the needs of this new treaty era". The ABC understands it will not be set up as a school or university, but a specialised training provider to work alongside established Aboriginal training organisations and academic institutions. The First Peoples' Assembly is a democratically elected body of Victorian Aboriginal traditional owners, which is responsible for negotiating the first state-wide treaty. The upcoming treaty agreement is expected to secure an ongoing role and expanded powers for the Assembly — something already publicly backed by Premier Jacinta Allan. There are still questions about how it will work. Previous treaty negotiation updates suggest the ongoing Assembly will have accountability, advisory and decision-making roles to be set out in Victorian legislation and through the treaty agreement. It will not have veto power over government decisions. But the Assembly's announcement of its proposed new education institute shows it is expecting to receive new treaty-backed powers to create and fund its own projects. It is unclear how much the proposed education institute will cost, though the ABC understands it will be funded directly by the First Peoples' Assembly, which will in turn be funded through the treaty agreement. The state Liberals no longer support treaty or any ongoing role for the First Peoples' Assembly, which opposition leader Brad Battin has previously labelled a "Victorian Voice to Parliament". The federal Voice to Parliament, defeated at the 2023 referendum, was proposed as an advisory body enshrined in the federal constitution. While the Victorian Peoples' Assembly will have an advisory role, other responsibilities discussed at negotiations include: Assembly co-chair Rueben Berg said the proposal for the First Peoples' Institute followed requests from community members throughout treaty consultations. "Our peoples have faced racism, discrimination and institutional exclusion, which have kept us from accessing the same educational opportunities as non-Aboriginal people," he said. Victoria's truth-telling inquiry, the Yoorrook Justice Commission, found First Nations students continue to experience racism within the university system. It found Aboriginal people were under-represented in the tertiary education system and over-represented among enrolled students who did not complete tertiary education. Uncle Alan Brown is a Gunditjmara man who sits on the Elders Voice advisory committee to the Assembly. He said the new institute would be a "safe place" for Aboriginal people and build on the successes of previous Aboriginal-run education programs. Uncle Alan helped establish Koori Kollij, a training program run by Victoria's Aboriginal Health service in the 1980s. "There are opportunities for Aboriginal people in other areas of the educational system, but this is important because it becomes our own," he said. He said it was commonplace for other groups like religious institutions or industry associations to set up training programs to meet specific needs. Just as the Koori Kollij helped equip a growing workforce of Aboriginal health workers, he said the new institute would equip First People with relevant skills for the treaty era. "The strength of our own First Peoples Institute is that the courses will be designed about what we need to build our future ... that will be driven by Victorian Aboriginal people," Uncle Alan said. Indigenous education academic and Deakin University associate professor Aleryk Fricker said the institute would help address entrenched educational inequality. He said he did not think it would create unnecessary duplication with existing Aboriginal institutes in mainstream universities and was a stepping stone towards the long-held aspiration for an Indigenous-owned higher education institute. "This proposal is a long way away from any kind of Indigenous tertiary institution, however it will potentially set a really important precedent for us to have some serious conversations around this reform," Professor Fricker said. As for whether non-Indigenous people working in the Aboriginal sector might also be invited to study at the proposed institute, Uncle Alan said that detail had not been worked out yet. "You would think nothing's off the table ... why wouldn't we one day be thinking about what can we do for the rest of Victoria?"
ABC News
37 minutes ago
- ABC News
Anti-corruption advocate calls for greater scrutiny over political lobbyists
The good news, for those currently striding the halls of power, is that there is life after politics. The bad news, for the rest of us, is that a favoured career path for ex-pollies involves peddling influence for powerful clients with their former colleagues, often behind closed doors. Lobbying has become big business. At last count, around 727 lobbyists were registered in the national capital, more than three times the number of elected officials sitting in parliament. Even more concerning, the rules governing federal lobbyists are among the slackest in the country. A new study by Transparency International Australia has found that the Commonwealth ranks almost last when it comes to transparency, integrity and enforcement of lobbyists, outranking only the Northern Territory. The findings were released in conjunction with an Australian Anti-Corruption Summit where lobbying reform was a central theme. Queensland comes out on top, followed by South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia. Tasmania and the ACT. "Despite a stated cooling-off period, former federal ministers can start lobbying straight out of office with impunity, while only Queensland has a ban of two years to stop the revolving door," the report found. According to the report, at least eight federal ministers, senior ministerial advisers and at least one state premier have taken up roles promoting gambling. But the infiltration is even more pronounced in the resources industry. Unlike most states, the Commonwealth has no independent regulator to enforce rules around lobbying and, instead of dedicated legislation, there is merely an administrative code of conduct. It may be the richest all-cash takeover offer in Australian history but money alone is not enough. When the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, in partnership with a national wealth fund and US private equity firm Carlyle, lobbed a $36 billion bid for gas giant Santos, the Australian company's board was quick to accept the offer to shareholders. But the consortium has to step through a maze of regulatory hoops before the bid gets across the line, including an assessment by the Foreign Investment Review Board and then the tick of approval from Treasurer Jim Chalmers. After years of gas shortages and soaring energy prices, a backlash from business and community groups is gathering pace, an environment that has seen a furious demand for lobbyists. Among those pushing for the deal to proceed unhindered is former federal minister Stephen Conroy, who operates under the banner of TG Public Affairs. He is working alongside Michael Choueifate, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's former chief of staff. It would be naive to think those opposing the transaction wouldn't be equally as armed in the lobbying department. While there is nothing untoward in their engagements, Transparency International Australia argues that we should be concerned about the lack of public scrutiny over the activities of former politicians and staffers and the industry more generally. It is pushing for a range of reforms, including a legislated code of conduct and a waiting period of at least three years before former politicians, senior staffers and former public servants can take up positions related to their previous roles. It also argues that the current list of registered lobbyists ignores the vast army of individuals working inside corporations and is demanding amendments requiring lobbyists to declare who they have met with and who has unescorted access to Parliament House. It also wants an independent body to enforce standards and codes of conduct for both parliamentarians and lobbyists along with sanctions and fines for those who fail to meet the standards.
ABC News
37 minutes ago
- ABC News
National CCTV trial in childcare centres expected as ministers meet
A national trial of CCTV cameras in hundreds of childcare centres is expected to get the green light at a meeting with federal, state and territory education ministers in Sydney today. Under the proposal being discussed, up to 300 services would be asked to take part in the trial. A number of states recently launched reviews into safety at childcare centres following multiple allegations of child abuse by a worker in Victoria, and a number of other significant incidents in other states. The New South Wales report recommended the installation of cameras in all new childcare centres, while Victoria's review recommended a trial to evaluate the use of cameras as a "regulative and investigative tool". NSW has committed to its own trial, while Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said she would prefer a national trial. She acknowledged privacy concerns but said CCTV must be considered as one way to better protect children. "I will acknowledge there are different views on this point … which is why moving to a trial in the first instance is most appropriate," Ms Allan said yesterday. While some states are already on board, others are yet to be convinced. Some have raised questions about where the footage would be stored and who would have access to it. Centres can already install CCTV cameras and recently Australia's biggest private childcare operator G8 Education announced it would roll out cameras to all of its centres. Early Childhood Australia CEO Samantha Page said she would support a trial but didn't want CCTV to create complacency or support poor practice. "Because there's a CCTV camera in a room, that does not mean it's okay to leave an educator alone with a child or group of children," she said. National Children's Commissioner Anne Hollonds said CCTV may have a role to play but raised concerns about an over-reliance on technology. "These other elements [to protect children] include the recruitment of the right people … the mandatory safety childcare training. The human elements are far more important than CCTV," she said. The trial is just one of a number of measures to be discussed at today's meeting, along with mandatory child safety training for all childcare staff and tougher penalties to try and deter breaches and non-compliance. The federal government will provide $189 million over the next four years to strengthen safety in the childcare sector. It includes funding to establish a new national register for childcare workers. Federal Education Minister Jason Clare flagged the idea last year, and during multiple media interviews after Joshua Dale Brown was arrested in Victoria. "There's a register for teachers; there's not a register for educators in centres. That's one of the other potential tools here to help keep children safe," he said last month. Details about how it would operate, what information would be included and when it could commence will be discussed at today's meeting. Early Childhood Education Minister Jess Walsh has previously suggested it would track workers from centre to centre and across state borders. "That register needs to be integrated with working with children checks … and it needs to be integrated with other information that we have about substantiated complaints and conduct against individuals," she said last month. Queensland Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek said a national register was long overdue. "A national register is critical to ensure the safety of children, support all early childhood services to ensure they do the right checks, and have the right information, every time they engage an educator, no matter where they are in the country," he said. NSW acting Minister for Education and Early Learning Courtney Houssos insisted the register must be a priority at today's meeting. "[It] will be most effective if it is implemented nationally," she said. The move comes after attorneys-general agreed to strengthen working with children checks so that if a worker is banned in one state, they are banned in all. Education Minister Jason Clare is set to talk to his state and territory counterparts about the mandatory mobile phone ban, which he said is set to be in place from September. The Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority has encouraged providers to adopt all practices in the National Model Code, which states staff should not have their phones on them while providing care to children, unless for emergencies or essential family needs. It's not clear at this stage how the ban will be enforced across different jurisdictions. Only two states have outlined their plans to issue hefty fines. South Australia has warned centres could be fined up to $50,000 or face suspension if they do not comply, with the SA education minister to explain the state's policy to his counterparts today. Victorian centres face a fine of up to $57,400 for long day care, kindergarten and outside school hours care services. Western Australia said it will introduce a ban but has not given a date, while NSW Premier Chris Minns indicated the finer details in his state had not been finalised. "We are looking at it. I accept the premise that there has to be zero tolerance when it comes to the safety and care of young people," he said. The federal government recently passed legislation that gives the Education Department the power to cut funding if a centre fails to meet national safety standards. The checks are carried out by state regulators, but a Four Corners investigation found many centres have not been checked for a number of years. Some states will push for more federal funding to help cover the cost of the checks. South Australian Minister for Education, Training and Skills Blair Boyer said his state was investing more in child safety. "This will deliver increased compliance checks and ensure ratings of ECEC services are updated every three years," he said. Western Australia's Early Childhood Minister Sabine Winton said the state government would spend an additional $1 million to boost the regulator's capacity but the federal government should also pitch in. "I will also be placing strong focus on advocating for building the capacity of the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) and state-based regulators," she said. Samantha Page agreed the federal government should play a greater financial role in ensuring state and territory regulators are fully resourced. "They [the regulators] need to able to undertake rating and assessment more frequently," she said. "I think the Commonwealth government tends to rely on the state and territory governments to find those resources and to operate those regulatory authorities without understanding the growth." 1,600 additional unannounced spot checks will be carried out by Commonwealth officers, but their main focus is on potential fraud.
