On the floor of Parliament yesterday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison spoke of a change happening in our country. There is a shared understanding that we have a shared future as Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, together. But our present is not shared.
Our present reality and indeed our past, is marred in difference and disparity. This striking disparity in quality of life outcomes is what began the historic journey of the Closing the Gap initiatives a decade ago.
But after ten years of good intentions, the outcomes have been disappointing. The gaps have not been closing and so-called targets have not been met. The quality of life among our communities is simply not equal to that of our non-Indigenous Australian counterparts.
Close the Gap Targets and Progress 2019 Source: NITV
Although I outline troubling realities, I am ever hopeful that change is near.
Although I outline troubling realities, I am ever hopeful that change is near. I was heartened by the statement made by the Prime Minister yesterday. For the first time, I heard a genuine acknowledgement of why the Closing the Gap outcomes seem steeped in failure. I heard an acknowledgement that until Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are brought to the table as equal partners, the gap will not be closed and progress will not be made. This is a view that our community has expressed for many years - a view I am encouraged has finally been heard.
Historically, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community leaders have not been equal decision-makers in steering attempts to close the unacceptable gaps between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians and the broader community.
Our struggle as community-controlled organisations to sit at the table and have a voice – let alone for governments to actually listen to us – has long been at the crux of the disappointing progress.
Last year, an accord on the first stage of the Closing the Gap Refresh languished because discussions were not undertaken with genuine input from community members. We turned an important corner in December when an historic agreement was reached to include a coalition of peak bodies as equal partners in refreshing the Closing the Gap strategy.
We now need to ensure that the agreement blossoms into genuine action.
We now need to ensure that the agreement blossoms into genuine action. We simply cannot let this opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of our people slip by. Government cannot be allowed to drag the chain on this until it becomes another broken promise.
We are doing the heavy lifting and have drafted a formal partnership agreement for the Commonwealth, state and territory governments to consider. We are determined to do all that we can to fulfil COAG’s undertaking to agree on formal partnership arrangements by the end of February.
The agreement sets out how we all work together and have shared and equal decision making on closing the gap. We are confident that a genuine partnership will help to accelerate positive outcomes to close the gaps.
The lack of progress under Closing the Gap is the lived reality of our people on the ground everyday. They are being robbed of living their full potential. Sadly, attending the funerals of people in our community – including increasingly young people taking their own lives – is all too common.
A coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak bodies from across the nation has formed to be signatories to the partnership arrangements. We are now almost 40* service delivery, policy and advocacy organisations, with community-control at our heart. This is the first time our peak bodies have come together in this way.
Our coalition brings a critical mass of independent Indigenous organisations with deep connections to communities that will enhance the Closing the Gap efforts. We are a serious partner for government. We want to ensure our views are considered equal and that we make decisions jointly.
We cannot continue to approach Closing the Gap in the same old ways. The top-down approach has reaped disappointing results as evidenced by the lack of progress of previous strategies to reach their targets.
We must not lose sight of the most crucial point of Closing the Gap, which is to improve the everyday lives of our people.
We must not lose sight of the most crucial point of Closing the Gap, which is to improve the everyday lives of our people. We must ensure our people are no longer burdened with higher rates of child mortality, poorer literacy, numeracy and employment outcomes, along with substantially lower life expectancies.
Yesterday on the floor of Parliament, the Prime Minister said that this will be a long journey of many steps. And I say, we have been walking for centuries. We have journeyed far and we will keep walking forward and climbing up until we reach a place where we are all on equal ground.
I also heard the Leader of the Opposition say that the burden of change needs to be carried by non-Indigenous Australians in acknowledging that racism still exists, that our justice system is deeply flawed and that generational trauma cannot be ignored.
And yes, change must come from within our communities but change must also come from the whole of Australia. We must change together.
The time has come for our voices to be heard and for us to lead the way on Closing the Gap. We are ready for action.
Pat Turner AM is the CEO of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation.
*We include the National Native Title Council; SNAICC – the Voice for our Children; National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services; Aboriginal Peak Organisations Northern Territory; New South Wales Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Organisations; and the peak body I work for, the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation.
