Exploring National Reconciliation Week

Garreth Hanley:
This is With Interest, a business, finance, and accounting news podcast, brought to you by CPA Australia.

Adrienne Biscontin:
Welcome to With Interest. Each year in Australia, National Reconciliation Week is celebrated between the 27th of May and the 3rd of June. This year's theme is now more than ever, a reminder that striving for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people must continue. Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories and cultures and explore how we can work towards achieving reconciliation in Australia.

As Australia's largest accounting body, CPA Australia are committed to leading positive social change, and our reconciliation action plan actively reflects this commitment to greater social responsibility and reconciliation between Australia's First peoples and the broader Australian community. With me today is CPA Australia's president and chair, John Curtin distinguished professor Dale Pinto FCPA, and Shane Miller CPA, the deputy chair of CPA Australia's Indigenous Advisory Group. They'll be sharing their perspectives as we explore some ways that we can achieve reconciliation together. Welcome to With Interest, Dale and Shane.

Shane Miller CPA:
Thank you very much, Adrienne. It's great to be here this morning with you.

Dale Pinto FCPA:
Thank you, Adrienne. Lovely to be here.

Adrienne Biscontin:
I would like to begin our podcast by acknowledging and paying our respects to the Traditional Owners of Australia and recognise the continuing connection to lands, waters, and communities. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and to Elders past and present. Dale, what is reconciliation and what does it mean to you?

Dale Pinto FCPA:
Thanks Adrienne. Reconciliation holds significant meaning to me. When I think of reconciliation, the first word that comes to my mind is acknowledgement. In this context, acknowledgement refers to recognising historical injustices, addressing ongoing disparities, and striving for healing and mutual respect between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Additionally, reconciliation to me involves recognition and respect. In this sense, it involves recognising the impacts of colonisation on Indigenous communities while striving to build stronger relationships based on equality, understanding, and recognition of Indigenous traditions, rights and perspectives.

Moreover, reconciliation to me involves actively engaging in learning about Indigenous cultures, histories and experiences. This includes supporting initiatives that promote Indigenous empowerment and self-determination, as well as fostering respectful relationships with Indigenous communities. Ultimately, it means acknowledging the shared responsibility to create a more inclusive and equitable society for all Australians.

And lastly, reconciliation to me signifies fostering empathy, dialogue and compromise to overcome differences and strengthen relationships. It requires a commitment to understand others' perspectives and actively working toward repairing relationships. Reconciliation goes beyond conflict resolution. It lays the groundwork for sustainable peace, justice, and cooperation.

Adrienne Biscontin:
Thank you, Dale. And Shane, what about you?

Shane Miller CPA:
Thanks, Adrienne. I guess for me, reconciliation is about acknowledgement and recognition of the past, and it's about moving forward as one country, as one nation together. It's not just sweeping it under the rug or saying, okay, well we know that it happened and it's part of our past and it's not specifically a nice part of our past as a country, but it's taking it and saying, okay, this happened and we're moving past it, and there is a way that we can bridge the gap and we can heal together and we can promote this idea of reconciliation together and walk forward as one.

I guess to me, being an Indigenous Australian, it's about not being afraid to recognise my heritage. It's about being proud of being an Indigenous Australian and not being met with negative connotations or wanting to hide it or not celebrate it as part of who I am because I feel like it's going to be met with unjust questions or opinions or stigmatism that is there. And I guess for me, is a world and a country where it's celebrated and you're proud to come out and say, yes, I'm an Indigenous Australian, and my children can go into a world and say, this is part of my culture, this is part of who I am, and not be met with the questions or the opinions or the slander that has previously been, I guess brought onto myself. And so for me personally, reconciliation is about really striving for that world and really, really getting to that point where we can move forward as one.

Adrienne Biscontin:
Thank you for sharing that. Dale, who is involved when we talk about reconciliation?

Dale Pinto FCPA:
Great, thanks for that question. It's a really important question because to me, this is an all-inclusive endeavour that we must have. So to me, when we talk about reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders peoples, the participants obviously include Indigenous communities, but also needs to extend to government representatives at all levels. So I'm talking here about local governments, state governments, and also the Commonwealth government. In addition, it must include non-governmental organisations and professional bodies like CPA Australia and more broadly at its widest level, the wider Australian society. So in other words, the picture I'm painting there is embracing reconciliation does require an all-inclusive community-wide effort. And it's early in this way that we can bring all of the stakeholders together to confront historical injustices and also recognise, acknowledge and strive to heal past wounds and to foster a future that's more inclusive and equitable for everyone.

Adrienne Biscontin:
And Shane, for you, who is involved when we talk about reconciliation?

Shane Miller CPA:
Yeah, thanks. Thanks Adrienne and Dale. I think I agree wholeheartedly with Dale's statement that it is really an all-inclusive thing. In short, everyone is involved in reconciliation. At its core, reconciliation is about strengthening the bond between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and non-Indigenous Australians. So realistically, at its core, everyone is involved because without everyone as an all-inclusive effort, we're just never going to hit that mark.

But as Dale said, it is really important for organisations, large organisations, professional bodies, government, even major sporting codes and things like that to also help lead that charge. It is an all-inclusive thing, but organisations and government have so much influential power to be able to really drive this home. And I feel like that's just where it needs to be.

On a higher level, you've got the Reconciliation Australia. They really have led that charge and they're a fantastic organisation that's really just struck out and has made reconciliation possible so far because it's just things like implementing RAPs and giving some kind of framework or body to reconciliation that can be followed and suited and tailored for organisations to be able to get involved.

Adrienne Biscontin:
Dale, some people might be thinking, but why does an organisation like CPA Australia get involved in reconciliation? What does it have to do with accountants and finance professionals? Can you talk to that?

Dale Pinto FCPA:
Yeah, thanks Adrienne. Another great, great question. So I'll start by answering this by saying, at CPA Australia, we're very proud and we are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment for our employees. Firstly, our members, secondly and thirdly, their communities. Now we are Australia's largest accounting body, and as such, I think we've got a public duty and a broader interest to drive positive social change. So we do have a reconciliation action plan, and that partly underscores this commitment by actively promoting a greater social responsibility and fostering the reconciliation we're talking about between Australia's First peoples and the broader community.

So I think we do have a role, and I'm really delighted that Shane is here because the development of our position would simply not be possible if we didn't have the guidance of our Indigenous Advisory Group, a group which has the full support of the CPA board and also the executive leadership team. But it's through their experience and wisdom that we are able to move forward in this very important space.

Another aspect where CPA Australia has recognised the significance is the Uluru Statement from the Heart. And this was a pivotal moment informally acknowledging our shared history and committing to advance together, to walk together towards a better future for all Australians. And we gratefully accept the invitation from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to walk alongside them, shoulder to shoulder, towards this future. I think we should regard ourselves as genuine and respectful partners for progress as we stand with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in their quest to strengthen relationships across all communities through voice treaty and truth.

CPA Australia also acknowledges the enduring custodianship of the lands and waters by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for over 60,000 years. And we are committed and remain committed to promoting Indigenous involvement and representation within the accounting profession. We are advocating for transparent processes that facilitate truth-telling and sincere agreements between governments and Indigenous peoples to foster safe, open and meaningful conversations. And in the spirit of this meaningful reconciliation, CPA Australia is very eager to collaborate with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders peoples, governments, members of the accounting profession, our employees, Reconciliation Australia as Shane said, and all Australians to find a shared voice and contribute to building what should be a strong and unified nation.

I'll just finish this by touching on our Innovate Reconciliation Plan for 2022, 2024, because this really marks the next phase of our journey. And again, we need to walk alongside our colleagues as we underscore the ongoing commitment we've got to reconciliation and recognising the influential role of our members and the wider accounting professions. So three focus areas of this Reconciliation Action Plan include firstly, increasing the representation of First Nations people in the accounting profession. We need to do a lot of work here. Secondly, highlighting the value of accounting for Australian Indigenous communities. Again, a lot of work for us to do in this space. And finally, enhancing the awareness, education, and capability among our members and employees.

Adrienne Biscontin:
Thank you, Dale. Shane, for the Uluru Statement from the Heart, what role did the Indigenous Advisory Group play in influencing CPA Australia to pledge its support for reconciliation, and why is this support significant for reconciliation?

Shane Miller CPA:
Yeah, thanks Adrienne. That's a really great question. I'm really, really happy to speak about this and speak on this as part of the Indigenous Advisory Group. So I am the deputy chair of the Indigenous Advisory Group and have been so since its inception into... as part of CPA Australia. We are a group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members that are made up from ASA members all the way to FCPA. So it gives us a really diverse outlook, which is a really core strength of the group as we can generate great ideas by pulling on everyone's expertise and shared experiences. And all our diverse experiences, one, really brings us to making some great decisions.

So in terms of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, as a group, we had a meeting, and at that time we noticed there was a lot of really large organisations that were pledging their support and issuing Uluru Statement from the Heart. And during this meeting, we collectively thought that CPA Australia as a influential large organisation that doesn't only just have a RAP but really celebrates it and really, really welcomes it and acknowledges it as part of our core, we just felt like CPA Australia were maybe missing the boat by not getting involved and issuing an Uluru Statement from the Heart.

So Keitha, who's our chair, and Holly who is CPA Australia's manager of Indigenous Engagement and Strategy, put together an email to the board saying that we strongly feel that this is something CPA Australia should do to continue on their reconciliation journey. We didn't know how it would be welcomed. We didn't know how it would go down. Fortunately enough, it was fully endorsed by the board. Now, the significance of this for I guess reconciliation is that it shows us that CPA Australia is fully committed to achieving reconciliation. There was no hesitation by the board, and it really drove home for us that CPA Australia genuinely care about their reconciliation and achieving reconciliation with its Indigenous members.

Now, for us, the significance of the Uluru Statement from the Heart as Indigenous members just made us feel heard. It made us feel recognised and supported. And I think that was the biggest thing for all of us, is we felt heard and we felt that CPA Australia is committed to reconciliation, is committed to supporting and celebrating its Indigenous Australian members and their reconciliation journey, it's backed by an organisation. So it was a pretty special day, not only for us as the IAG, but also for all Indigenous members of CPA Australia to have CPA just fully endorse that without hesitation. It was a really special day.

Adrienne Biscontin:
Thanks, Shane. What steps can we take towards reconciliation to ensure we are genuinely committing to achieving reconciliation in Australia?

Shane Miller CPA:
Yeah, thanks, Adrienne. I mean, I guess from an organisational level, if it's feasible, implementing a RAP is a really fantastic start to truly achieving reconciliation. It's not without its challenges, but at its core it's a very structured way for organisations to work towards reconciliation. But I guess on an individual level, it's having an openness to have tough conversations and ask challenging questions. If you're not sure of how to celebrate Indigenous culture, ask the hard questions. If you're not sure or you have an idea in your head of what is perceived to be Indigenous culture and you're not too sure about that, it's changing the way you think. It's changing mindsets and taking a paradigm shift on an individual level to ask, "Well, why is it like this?"

I guess people can look into significant events in reconciliation and that have led the way. Days like the 27th of May 1967 when the referendum that saw of 90% of voters vote yes to including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in their census. Or you can even look at the Mabo decision. People can generally on an individual level, work towards reconciliation by simple means of acknowledgement of Traditional Custodians of the land and Traditional Owners. It's a great way for people to spread knowledge about where they're from, the lands that they come from, and also pay respects to Indigenous culture and I guess work towards their own reconciliation. It could be as simple as a signature in the email that says, "I acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land that I work on."

Jacqueline Blondell:
If you're enjoying this podcast, you should check out our in-depth business and finance show, INTHEBLACK. Search for INTHEBLACK on your favourite podcast app today. And now back to With Interest.

Adrienne Biscontin:
Dale, you talked a bit about CPA Australia's commitment to celebrating Indigenous Australian members and achieving reconciliation. What's your take on it?

Dale Pinto FCPA:
Yeah, thanks Adrienne and Shane's raised a really important point that I'm going to include in my response to this, and this is reciprocity where we go to lots of events where Indigenous peoples will do welcomes to country and acknowledge us openly. And all we do is say, "Oh, that was a great welcome." So an elder where I'm from on Whadjuk Noongar land said, "You should do something for us." So whether it's turning on NITV or going to the yarning circle at a university campus, I think it's really important because it then stresses how it should be integrated into what we are doing. So I think the ‘now more than ever’ is a really apt slogan.

The other things we can do is we have to persist. Especially now, we have to persist with genuine reconciliation, and it does have to go beyond what I'd call corporate obligations. And it's about this unity that we need to achieve in our country for the well-being of not only current but future generations of all Australians. And we have a moral duty, and this duty intertwines the essence of humanity. It's history, it's culture, and its hope. So for CPA Australia, it's not just about meeting requirements or about having a RAP, it's about taking a stand, an active stand to mend wounds and forge this brighter future together. This is why as Shane said, we are deeply committed as a board and an organisation to equality and inclusion for all. And it's only through actively doing things, through actively participating in our CPA reconciliation journey that we'll have the chance to redefine our purpose and shape a legacy that hopefully will be grounded in respect, empathy, and also unity. And this goes beyond the boardroom and it delves into the heart of communities where the stories of our Australians First Nations people unfold.

So it's a pledge that we have to give to listen and to learn from our First Nations people and to recognise and to respect and cherish the richness of their culture and histories. So I think the impact of reconciliation does form a really crucial foundation for the organisation where diversity, inclusion, and lifelong learning are deeply woven into the fabric of our culture. And our journey on reconciliation should signify an ongoing dedication to fostering an environment where every voice, especially those who have been historically silenced, is not only heard, but is celebrated. So reaffirming our commitment to reconciliation is really a call to action, guiding the organisation towards a future where inclusion is intrinsic, it's embedded, it's part of our DNA, it's who we are and what we do.

And furthermore, our profession, the accounting and finance profession, we have a unique opportunity to contribute to greater economic empowerment and self-determination in financial well-being for all communities. And by collaborating with our First Nations members, I think we can create a really meaningful impact and make a positive contribution to advancing reconciliation. And again, I'd come back to thank our Indigenous Advisory Group members for volunteering their time and supporting us as we navigate our reconciliation roadmap together.

I mean, ultimately what we want to do is build a designation and a profession that reflects diversity of all Australians, space where Indigenous people and cultures are respected, are valued, are nurtured. And it shouldn't just be a business strategy, but a real commitment to turning words into action, doing something for positive and lasting change. And ultimately achieving reconciliation, it's an emotional journey. It's a spiritual journey. It's a collective narrative of listening, learning, understanding, and working together to build a shared vision that we can celebrate for tomorrow.

Adrienne Biscontin:
Thanks, Dale. Shane, Dale makes some important points there. What can people do if they want to show their support for reconciliation or even get involved?

Shane Miller CPA:
Thanks, Adrienne. I guess when you break it down to its most simple form, it really is just about getting involved. Events like NAIDOC Week are just a great way for people and organisations to show their support and get involved. A lot of the time people are hesitant to get involved because they think that they might be doing it wrong or missing the mark, but the truth is you can't really miss the mark if you just get involved and be a part of it and welcome it. Sometimes doing something is better than doing nothing. And so I think that a lot of people might have this, "Oh, I'm not too sure where to start." Just make a start, get involved, implement it in part of your organisation or personally attend events in NAIDOC Week.

Most cities, most places, universities always have some kind of event happening through NAIDOC Week. So if you're a little bit curious and you just maybe have an opinion in your head or you're not too sure where to start, these are great places for individuals to go to start. I guess from an organisational level, I'll just probably loop back and say that Reconciliation Action Plans, RAPs are really the first port of call and they are a fantastic start to achieving reconciliation. If you're committed to reconciliation, these are really a structured and great way for you to really get involved. Other simple ways to just, like I said, pop an acknowledgement of country in your email signature. If you've got an opening or possibly a big meeting, reach out to a local elder, ask them to come in and do a welcome to country and a smoking ceremony. It's these little things.

There's just such an abundance of these little things that can be done that individuals and companies alike can do. And at the crux of all, it really is just making a meaningful start and a meaningful change even in the simplest forms. I'd like to take the time to also thank Dale and the board for the continued support. Without them, we wouldn't have the opportunity to be such a massive part of the change that we're seeing every day. And it is so special for us and myself personally to walk together as one with the support and the backing of the board and CPA Australia in our pursuit of reconciliation. Without them, we wouldn't have a chance to be even close to where we are now. So it really is something that's really special and dear to my heart, and I just appreciate support so much.

Adrienne Biscontin:
Thanks, Shane. Some really good and practical ideas there. Dale, as you say, it goes beyond corporate expectations and a moral duty, doesn't it? How would you like to see people get involved on this journey and make their own contribution?

Dale Pinto FCPA:
Thanks, Adrienne. I think like Shane said, there's no magic formula here. There's an individual and a collective level at which we need to do this, and it is multilayered and it's multifaceted, but some of the things, some of the practical things... So we've talked a lot about stakeholder engagement today and the Indigenous Advisory Group. Again, I keep coming back to them because this group is pivotal to us as they advise, support and guide our initiatives and ensure those voices that Shane was talking about are heard. And also to advise us on important initiatives like our Reconciliation Action Plan and as it ramps up, how do we accommodate this within the organisation? And I think it is important that we have that continued stakeholder engagement from that group.

Other things include small things like understanding our current representation. So we've now got a tool on our members profile page, for example, which allows members to identify if they wish to, whether they're Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background. And that helps us, again, to understand our representation better. We've also got pipeline initiatives, if we can call them that, in the form of scholarships. And in 2021, I'm really happy to say we did award all five scholarships for the first time since that programme started, but we need to do more.

We need to do more in that space. So that's another practical thing that we can do. The education sector that Shane touched on is really important because we do need to collaborate to increase the number of Indigenous Australians entering accounting and finance pathways. So this could include pathway programmes or pathway entries into our membership, which the board is currently looking at more broadly across the organisation. And I think the saying "you can't be what you can't see", we need to promote accounting through Indigenous role models. So we need to find those role models. And we do profile in our platforms, including INTHEBLACK magazine and podcasts like this, to showcase our Indigenous role models because I think the younger generation, hearing it from someone who's done it and is walking the walk will be very, very powerful. I think cultural awareness and education, we need to embed that more in the organisation.

I think we've done this with our divisional councils, for example, where they've done workshops to increase their understanding of cultural protocols, sensitivity, safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. I think we should continue to do that and build on it and make it part of what we do, just like we do in induction. It's important. Shane talked about celebrating Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week, and our organisation certainly proudly commemorates both of those things. They're wonderful exhibitions and celebrations of the deep culture. Continuous learning I think is really important that we need to commit to expanding our understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. It's only through knowledge and understanding that we will progress into the future.

So I think that is important. And finally, I think we need to explore and develop new opportunities to advance reconciliation across the organisation, across the membership, and across the broader profession and the community. I'm really proud, I have to say, as the current board president and chair, to work in an organisation that has amazing people like Shane serving on the Indigenous Advisory Group, and also our Indigenous initiatives lead Holly Mataka, and inclusion and diversity manager Morgan McAllister, who are just amazing individuals who are passionate, who are really knowledgeable, but so giving for us to learn and sit down for them. And I'm very proud that CPA has people like this to help lead us and walk together on the path to reconciliation.

Adrienne Biscontin:
Thanks so much for your time, Dale and Shane. It's an important conversation and one I'm sure we'll revisit again. It's been great hearing both your insights on First Nations reconciliation, and we really appreciate your time.

Shane Miller CPA:
Thanks very much, Adrienne. Thanks for having me today and allowing me to share my perspectives on such an important issue. And thanks again to Dale and the CPA board for the continued support.

Dale Pinto FCPA:
And likewise, thank you, Adrienne. I feel very privileged and honoured to have been included in such an important discussion today, and I've really enjoyed the conversation and the insights that have been shared. Thank you.

Adrienne Biscontin:
For more information about today's topic, don't forget to check the show notes for this episode. You can also visit the website at cpaaustralia.com.au and search for reconciliation. With Interest is a regular podcast. If you liked today's show, you can subscribe on your favourite podcast app by searching for CPA Australia's With Interest. I'm Adrienne Biscontin. Until next time, thanks for listening.

Garreth Hanley:
You've been listening to With Interest, a CPA Australia podcast. If you've enjoyed this episode, help others discover With Interest by leaving us a review and sharing this episode with colleagues, clients, or anyone else interested in the latest finance, business, and accounting news. To find out more about our other podcasts and CPA Australia, check the show notes for this episode. We hope you can join us again for another episode of With Interest.