Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker Andrews, for the privilege and opportunity to speak on this matter in the Chamber today. I don't intend to give a long speech but simply to acknowledge, as many other members have done, the progress that has been made and also the sadness that comes with an agenda unfulfilled and one that continues to need to be supported by all members in this place.

As the Closing the gap report outlines, there is still significant disadvantage experienced by people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage compared to much of the rest of the Australian population. The purpose of Closing the Gap is self-evident, but improving the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders so they can live to their full potential is always in our interests. We must remind everybody that this is in the national interest as well as, of course, in the interest of the people affected, because, when you look at everything that our great country has achieved and everything that is before it into the future, you realise the full potential of the individual, you respect their humanity and their dignity, and what they can contribute to enhancing a greater Australia. That is why this agenda is so critical to Australia today—to address the wrongs of the past but also to build the type of country that we want to be into the future.

As the Closing the gap report outlines, three of the seven targets in the Closing the Gap strategy are on track to be met. But it is with sadness that we also acknowledge that four out of seven are not on track to be achieved at the current rate, and we must redouble our efforts and refocus our energy to make sure they are.

Let's go with the good news. The target to halve the gap in child mortality by 2018 is on track. As the report outlines, over the long term, between 1998 and 2016, the Indigenous child mortality rate declined by 35 per cent. There has been a narrowing of the gap by 32 per cent. Improvements in the key drivers of child and maternal health over the past few years suggest there are further gains to be made. We know the continuing problem of fetal alcohol syndrome in Indigenous communities and remote communities, and these are important issues which continue to need to be addressed. It isn't enough to focus on mortality; it has to be coupled with improved healthcare outcomes throughout all stages of life.

The second target on track is to have 95 per cent of all Indigenous four-year-olds enrolled in early childhood education by 2025. In 2016, around 14,700 Indigenous children, which is 91 per cent, were enrolled in early childhood programs. As we know, that target isn't just about making sure that children are engaged in the discipline of school; it is actually about the important role that education can play in building young minds and in expanding their opportunities beyond the immediacy of their lived experience. We must continue to make sure that we focus on that, because it comes at the heart of the potential for many young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to go on and live as fulfilled a life as they would seek for themselves, and to know the world beyond them and their immediate surrounds, so they can make their choice about their future.

The target to halve the gap in year 12 attainment by 2020 is also on track. Nationally, the proportion of Indigenous 20- to 24-year-olds who have achieved year 12 or equivalent has increased from 47.4 per cent in 2006 to 65.3 per cent in 2016. While the attainment rates for non-Indigenous Australians also improved at the same time, the gap has narrowed by 12.6 per cent over the past decade, which is a very good achievement as well. It follows on strongly from the sentiments I made about the previous target and the potential and what it can do to improve human lives.

Sadly, though, there is bad news—or news that leaves room for opportunity for us all to struggle together to do better. Unfortunately, the target to close the gap in school attendance by 2018 is not on track. In 2017 the overall attendance rate for Indigenous students nationally was 83.2 per cent, compared with 93 per cent for non-Indigenous students. So there is a need to continue to focus energy on that as well. The target to halve the gap in reading and numeracy by 2018 is also not on track. In 2017 the proportion of Indigenous students achieving national minimum standards in NAPLAN was on track in only one area—year 9 numeracy—of the eight areas, including reading and numeracy across different levels. However, the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students has narrowed since 2008, across all NAPLAN areas, particularly reading in years 3 and 5, and numeracy in years 5 and 9.

Similarly, the target to halve the gap in employment by 2018 is not on track, with Indigenous employment rates falling slightly over the past decade; however, progress is being masked by a change in remote employment programs during this period. The employment rate has improved by 4.2 per cent over the past 10 years. In 2016 the Indigenous employment rate was 46.6 per cent, compared with 71.8 per cent for non-Indigenous Australians.

The final target not to have been met, the one that, I think, always brings the most sadness to every Australian, is the gap in life expectancy, that by 2031 we may see a significant reduction in the gap of life expectancy. Instead, between the periods 2005 and 2007 and between 2010 and 2012 there's been a small reduction in the gap of less than a year for males and 0.1 years for females, so almost no significant shift, tragically, for women. The report states:

Over the longer term, Indigenous mortality rates have declined by 14 per cent since 1998.

This report gives all of us pause for thought. I know that many people have remarked already about the disappointment of what has not been achieved in the past decade, but we also need to recognise what has been achieved as well. We have seen a shift and improvement and a proper focus on many of the issues to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, but, as part of the continuing pursuit of justice for our entire country, we need to continue to focus on and address many of these gaps.

It doesn't sit, of course, in isolation. The targets that are very important to provide the foundations for people to be able to go on and live healthy, happy and successful lives have to be matched with other policy priorities that advance the interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to be full members and full participants in the Australian community. In my previous capacity as Human Rights Commissioner, one of the bits of work I was very proud to work on was realising the potential of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders over their native title lands to increase the potential for that land to be used to its full extent in the interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders under the control of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to pursue the interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as part of the fulfilment of the destiny of this great nation.

My hope is that out of this report people will focus on what we need to do next and will make sure that there is proper recognition of the challenges that continue to remain for our Indigenous Australians. It isn't just a responsibility of the state or federal governments. Every Australian needs to take an active interest, because these are our fellow country men and women—people who have experienced many difficult times in the past and the legacy and trauma that continues to be inflicted upon them culturally and socially. It's time that we all took a greater interest and had more sense of obligation about trying to improve the circumstances of every Australian, because that is the only way we will get to the point of developing and building a more inclusive, more harmonious and more respectful nation.

Of course, not having firsthand lived experience of the challenges in many of the areas that this report seeks to address, can sometimes make it challenging for a lot of people, including myself, to understand that lived experience and to participate successfully with full empathy. But I think that most people would see that the situation being faced today by so many other Australians is beyond anything that this nation should tolerate, particularly at this point in our history, with our position of wealth and opportunity. Now is the time for us to take even greater responsibility, to make sure that it does not continue into the future.

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