D. Equity and Social Justice Outcomes

D. Equity and Social Justice Outcomes

PM&C assisted the Government to achieve equity and social justice outcomes for the community through initiatives including:

• The development of the National Early Childhood Development Strategy and the National Partnership Agreement on the National Quality Agenda for Early Childhood Education and Care through COAG aim to support positive outcomes for children, particularly children who experience disadvantage.
• In 2009-10, we made a strong contribution to key priorities in the health sphere to improve access to medical services, particularly in reducing elective surgery waiting times in the public hospital system through the National Partnership Agreement on the Elective Surgery Waiting List Reduction Plan, and in improving access to emergency department services.
• We worked closely with the Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) to ensure access to affordable medicines through the Fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement and the Memorandum of Understanding with Medicines Australia.
• The National Health and Hospitals Network reform agenda, to which PM&C contributed, is intended to ensure that all Australians enjoy quality, accessible health care.
• We assisted FaHCSIA on the implementation of the Government's reform agenda on housing and homelessness that will deliver social justice and equity outcomes in the community, particularly in their work on homelessness and social housing, including for Indigenous people in remote areas.
• We contributed to the development of the National Disability Strategy that will provide national leadership toward greater inclusion of people with disability and play an important role in protecting, promoting and fulfilling the human rights of people with disability. The strategy also addresses statutory protections such as anti-discrimination measures, complaints mechanisms, advocacy, the electoral and justice systems.
• The coordination of $436 million of Commonwealth financial assistance to Victoria following the 2009 bushfire event ensured that those affected were provided with psycho-social, rebuilding and reconstruction, economic and environment support to assist them in their recovery.
• Publication of A Stronger, Fairer Australia outlines the Government's long-term strategy to build a stronger, fairer Australia through a new approach to reducing disadvantage and increasing national prosperity.
• Progress in the Indigenous reform agenda is critical to achieving social justice and outcomes for Indigenous Australians. COAG agreement in July 2009 to the Integrated Strategy for Closing the Gap identified how investment of additional funds under existing COAG agreements will make a real difference in addressing Indigenous disadvantage, while the National Urban and Regional Service Delivery Strategy commits governments to coordinate and target the substantial funding provided under mainstream and Indigenous-specific programs to address Indigenous disadvantage in urban and regional locations. Establishment of the National Congress of First Australians, in November 2009, provides a mechanism to engage Indigenous people, organisations and communities in matters that directly affect their development and to gain a voice in government decision making.

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