Deloitte has made public its vision for reconciliation, announcing that there is no greater challenge and opportunity facing the nation than coming to terms with the history and ongoing treatment of Australia's First Peoples.
The professional services network has released its Reconciliation Action Plan, which has been in the planning stages since June 2018 after the firm established an internal Indigenous Leadership Team. This is the third version of the plan released by Deloitte as it furthers its commitment to being a better corporate citizen.
The plan acknowledges that the way things have been done by Deloitte, and the nation, in the past has not worked and that it is time to help Indigenous people take their rightful place in Australia.
Deloitte Australia chairman Tom Imbesi notes in the document that "this plan deliberately embeds truth into our processes and dialogue of Reconciliation Australia. This is because we acknowledge that we must hear the truth of the past before we can address it".
The plan lays out the firm's commitment to collaboration and connection with community, partnering with Indigenous businesses where possible, and accepting that the future success of the Australia relies on healing the relationship with First Nations People and learning from them about how to care for country.
Deloitte said it has been deepening its relationships with a diverse group of First Nations organisations as part of this process. This year, the firm will be pushing to promote reconciliation through its sphere of influence, which includes supporting and participating in Reconciliation Australia.
The leader of the Indigenous Leadership Team, Professor Deen Sanders OAM, a proud Worimi man, said trust draws deeply on the Indigenous knowledge principle that when you care for country, it will care for you.
The former financial services CEO notes there is greater ambition and commitment within the firm to ensure Deloitte becomes an Indigenous-hearted organisation
"This is not an extractive, transactional dynamic - if you trust me, I'll trust you. It is a complex relational one, where the whole system benefits when we accept our personal responsibility for it. In turn, that brings us into a relationship with other people who share and care for it. It is a binding, singular purpose," he said.
"When you measure success on how truthful and honest you want to be, with real incremental systemic change. We have been embedding structures, not just measuring outcomes.
"The conversations we're having now are different. I'm proud to be an advocate at the beginnings of these radical changes as a nation."
