Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I'll ask the Minister for Indigenous Health to add to this answer, but I just want to respond to the question about Closing the Gap and the targets. What we are engaged in at the moment is a very respectful and extensive consultation with Indigenous communities and leaders—and, of course, we have a big gathering going on here in Canberra at the moment as part of that—as we seek to frame new Closing the Gap targets that are more extensive and that bring in state and territory governments as well. It is a shared objective. The honourable member, as a former minister in a state government, knows very well that the responsibility for Indigenous advancement and closing these gaps and other gaps is one that is shared across governments.

The proposition that the government is cutting funding for Indigenous affairs is simply wrong. We are putting more resources into Indigenous advancement all the time. I want to just remind honourable members of what I said a moment ago in my earlier answer: the signal success of the Indigenous procurement policy. We all understand that economic empowerment is fundamental. The Commonwealth has shown strong leadership there in that regard, and it has been a success beyond all expectations. We're getting buy-in from state and territory governments and from the corporate sector. I'll ask the minister to add to the answer.

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