Ken Wyatt (Hasluck, Liberal Party, Minister for Aged Care) Share this | Hansard source

The priorities that have remained as the targets for Closing the Gap have been consistent. What we have is a 200-year level of disparity, and in 10 years we've set targets that address health and education. We're extending that to employment opportunities and the way in which we bring forward some of the levels of disparity, in a way that we've not been able to achieve to the extent that we had under the 10-year bilateral agreement between both sides of this chamber. But the level of commitment to making a difference doesn't diminish.

Certainly, within the health sector we've had some significant gains made, and we will continue to look at how we access mainstream resources that are available to all Australians. That will include the use of MBS items and the PBS, to make sure that the journey, just in health alone, incorporates other opportunities. But that doesn't diminish the existing effort or the commitment to funding. We will continue to focus on making sure that we close the gap in every facet of lives for Indigenous Australians.

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