The agreements that all speakers mentioned between the States and the Commonwealth are important, but the most important point out of this morning's discussions is the notion of partnerships. I am not an expert on every State in this country, but I can tell you that there are Aboriginal consultative mechanisms in place at the State, the regional and, in some cases, the local level as well. This has been done by the various models of Aboriginal consultative groups across the country. It has not been perfect, but it has certainly served the strategic planning process starting to go on very successfully in education. Another point that has not been mentioned is the notion of qualitative and quantitative outcomes.
Indigenous people have a very strong perception of what outcomes are.
And I am not just talking about kids in schools, I am talking about Indigenous people participating in the educational and training processes right across the country. That is clearly where benchmarking needs to head in this area. May O'Brien and Peter Buckskin emphasised the importance of the cultural imperatives. This is not just about bums on seats, numbers, completion rates or how many people you have in your program. It is about whether what you are measuring is culturally appropriate and recognises what Aboriginal people see as important.