By Michelle Grattan Professorial Fellow University of Canberra
These are not intractable [problems]. We can find solutions. I saw that myself, when I was working at [Indigenous tourism company] Voyages. I saw it when I was working in Santos. There were so many good stories about people that just wanted an opportunity. And when it was given to them in sufficient measure, with the right supports that they needed to be successful, they took it up every single time.
And what was really valuable for them was they were part of the general economy. They were part of the general society. They were a part of the workplace.
They weren’t relegated to a special Aboriginal employment programme that they could sit on for the rest of their life. It was about saying, ‘you know what? You belong in the economy with all of us and here’s a place for you and we’re going to help you to take that up’. As a person who’s worked in this area, it is extremely satisfying when you identify that opportunity, create that opportunity, and people do respond to that opportunity.