Fed: Indigenous affairs on the COAG agenda: Rudd

AAP General News (Australia)
12-17-2007
Fed: Indigenous affairs on the COAG agenda: Rudd

CANBERRA, Dec 17 AAP - Indigenous affairs will be added to the agenda of the Council
of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting in Melbourne on Thursday.

The meeting also will discuss education, health, infrastructure, business deregulation,
housing, water and climate change.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said today's federal cabinet meeting had agreed to expand
the number of issues for discussion by commonwealth, state, territory and local government
leaders.

"We've also decided today that we will be including indigenous affairs in that agenda
as well," the prime minister told reporters in Canberra.

"We believe these are critical areas of great interest and relevance to Australian families."

Mr Rudd said Health Minister Nicola Roxon was working hard to come up with solutions
to the long elective surgery waiting lists with her state and territory counterparts.

"We are looking particularly at achieving early results on the question of elective
surgery waiting lists," he said.

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KEYWORD: COAG RUDD

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