The Tasmanian Greens believe that every member of the community has an equal right to the social, cultural and political benefits due to its members. No citizen should be disenfranchised and excluded from full participation in society on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, socio-economic status, religion, language or cultural background.

While there may be equality of right, there is not always equality of access to the benefits of those rights. Since no person in need should be denied access to good health or education, funding and delivery should promote equitable access to those services. There must be corrective investment in those at risk of, or experiencing, social exclusion.

Optimum participation in economic, social and community life is a defining characteristic of an inclusive society. To that end, resources must be delivered proportionally, favouring those in most need while maintaining universal access and participation in services and community life. Government services at all levels must be responsive to the diverse attributes, circumstances and aspirations of their clients when supporting the capacity of individuals to address the difficulties they experience. Those services must assist people to make independent decisions about participating in their workplaces and their communities.

The role of Government is to support departments, agencies and organisations in giving individuals and service users a voice in determining the services they need, and how they will operate, so that people can take responsibility in making the best use of the opportunities provided. The multifaceted nature of social exclusion means that the services offered may be limited in meeting the complex needs of a person or group of people. Separate funding, policy-making and service provision can be systemic barriers to providing effective support. Flexibility and cooperation across agencies, between agencies and between levels and facets of government is a key to addressing social exclusion. Integration, transparency and collaboration between agencies, government departments, and sections of departments are essential.

Meaningful feedback from affected community members, involving genuine and inclusive consultation, is a vital source of information in improving micropolicy and service delivery.

Measures:

Government:  ensure governments, organisations and communities cooperate fully to obtain the best possible results for people in need; build partnerships to establish shared priorities; scrutinise all legislation and regulation for aspects which inadvertently ignore or further entrench existing exclusion; frame positive legislation with social inclusion in mind

Departmental Services:  provide directives for government departments to work together in flexible ways to meet individual needs;  make special provision, where appropriate, for those Tasmanians who are already experiencing, or are at immediate risk of, significant exclusion and who are not be catered for by present bureaucracies;  create intensive interventions designed at an individual, family or community level;  link service providers in special cases, particularly in regard to children at risk;  link employment preparation services with drug or alcohol treatment programs to circumvent homelessness

Indigenous People:  respect and support the strengths of individuals, families and communities when framing services; promote a strong, positive view of Aboriginal identity and culture; reduce social exclusion for Indigenous Australians; create initiatives that improve the health, education, housing and employment prospects of people of Tasmanian Aboriginal descent; recognise the positive contributions of people from culturally diverse backgrounds

Early Intervention and Prevention: circumvent future social exclusion by addressing such causal conditions as homelessness; design interventions which deter intergenerational transmission of disadvantage; ensure that services such as schools and hospitals provide a range of opportunities to identify those at risk of disadvantage at an early stage; prioritise early intervention and prevention routines which focus on children and young people and the identification of potential problems before they arise

Micropolicy and Regulation: take a 'people-first' view in regard to individual and community need, using evidence from actual experiences and life outcomes; develop policy through integrated problem-solving projects which draw together all relevant agencies; develop programs within a comprehensive social inclusion framework, researching and understanding the links between programs operating in practice; use the practical experience of community and other delivery organisations, existing research and the evidence base, to evaluate strategies as they develop, focusing on outcomes as well as processes

Sustainable Programs: create policies and programs that focus on long-term sustainable improvement; ensure that interventions build individual capacity and develop protective factors that enable self-management through life-course events; establish benchmarks and formal targets that are ambitious but attainable, measurable and time-specific; focus on long term policy goals and integrate long-term social inclusion objectives in broader reform efforts