Adam Bandt (Melbourne, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I want to speak about the Closing the Gap annual statement and some of the report cards that have been delivered that show how things are going in this country. The picture is not good. The Productivity Commission's report showed what many of us have known for a long time, which is that the gaps are not closing and that governments need to take a fundamentally different approach to the way that they engage with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.

The report said that actions by governments exacerbate rather than remedy disadvantage and discrimination, in many situations. This is the definition of institutional racism, and it shows how government departments and systems are reinforcing the disempowerment of First Nations people right across the country.

The report was also a necessary act of truth-telling. It painted a true picture of what the 'government knows best' approach is doing to communities, and the clear need for a different approach. The attitudes underlined by criticisms contained within the Productivity Commission report are what keep First Nations people out of schools, hospitals, universities and workplaces.

Out of the 19 Closing the Gap targets across 17 outcomes, seven are improving but not on track to be met, four are on track to be met, four are getting worse and four have no data to assess progress. We're expecting an update to the data early this year. Hopefully it will show some improvement, but, if the report from the Productivity Commission is anything to go by, we shouldn't necessarily hold our breath.

On the anniversary of the national apology, the government handed down the annual report on the Closing the Gap implementation plan. We heard a number of announcements, including the creation of a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Commissioner, and the Greens welcome this announcement.

There are also some simple things that the government could do now—right now—that would help significantly improve the lives of First Nations people. Medicare in prisons would make a huge difference, because we know that incarceration rates are appallingly high for First Nations people, especially in places like the Northern Territory. When you look at youth detention in the Northern Territory, you find that, in some places, almost everyone is a First Nations person. Medicare in prisons for First Nations people across the country would make a huge difference, and that's something the government could do right now.

Raising the age of criminal responsibility to 14 is also absolutely critical. We have an incredibly high rate of locking up children—and First Nations children in particular. Children as young as 10 do not belong in prison. We need to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14. It's something that First Nations communities are crying out for. It's something that people fighting for justice are crying out for. It's a reform whose time has come.

We're seeing some first steps—under pressure from the community, from First Nations groups, from the Greens and from others—in some jurisdictions, but the federal government has to take the lead. The government's got a very big megaphone and a very big ability to help corral the states and territories and push them to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14—to get those states and territories on board. Bear in mind: everywhere on the mainland at the moment, there's a Labor head of state.

Raising the age of criminal responsibility to 14 will go a long way to help close the gap and improve the lives of First Nations people. I would just ask everyone to reflect on whether they think the 10-, 11-, 12- or 13-year-olds that they know, in their life, deserve to be in prison—because that is what is happening to First Nations people, right across the country.

People trusted this government when they said that they wanted to put First Nations people in charge of their own solutions. Now it's time for the government to put their money where their mouth is and start handing decision-making power to Aboriginal-controlled community organisations, because we know—and the evidence is clear, in so many places—that, when you do that, you get a better result. You get a better result because First Nations people have the solutions; they know what they need.

First Nations people have sustained themselves for over 65,000 years. Governments need to support and enable community-led solutions, designed by communities for communities. This will allow for the diversity of the hundreds of nations to be taken into account and help ensure programs actually deliver what is needed for each individual community. Every government department and every minister has a role to play. Everyone needs to do their part.

The Productivity Commission report said that, without urgent action, closing the gap risks becoming another broken promise to First Nations people, but this is bigger than just broken promises. It's life or death for so many of our first peoples.

The Greens shared in the disappointment and could see the gutting effect having an unsuccessful result in the referendum had on so many First Nations people. We campaigned very hard for a successful outcome to that referendum. Certainly people in Greens electorates responded in record numbers, and I thank them and everyone else across the country who voted, but we got the result. It was not the result that we wanted, but we got the result that we did. But one of the things that became clear during the referendum was that, when you looked at the misinformation campaign that was spearheaded by the Leader of the Opposition—the misinformation and the untruths told about the history of our country; about the violence and dispossession and the effect that that has on First Nations people; and even about the proposals that were being put in the referendum. When you see the massive misinformation campaign spearheaded by the Leader of the Opposition and by others, it underlines the need for truth-telling in this country.

Before the election, the Greens said, 'We actually think that we need to begin the process of truth-telling first because, if we have the process of truth-telling first, we start to lay the foundations for real reform.' The process of truth-telling allows First Nations people and others—everyone else—to come forward and tell their story about what the history of violence, dispossession and colonisation has meant for them, what it has meant for them in generations past and also what it means for generations now. When we have that process of encouraging people to come forward and tell the truth and encouraging everyone across this country to come and tell their stories, we can begin the process of healing. We begin the process of understanding and begin the process of people listening to each other. Then we can begin the process of having justice and healing and then move on to have a treaty. What we're seeing in Victoria is this process of truth-telling playing out at the moment. There are things that in the past might have been done differently in terms of setting it up, but, at the moment, it is bringing forward people to tell their stories. When you bring people out to tell their stories, especially in an environment where there is not a vote at stake and it is about increasing understanding, you start to create discussion and you start to create understanding. That lays the foundation for lasting reform.

It was bitterly disappointed to see the referendum result that we did, but it was also incredibly disappointing not to see the government now get on with the remainder of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which we could start to progress now. Beginning a truth and justice process and this country and establishing a truth and justice commission at the national level goes a long way towards delivering First Nations justice and closing the gap, because it begins the process of laying a really strong foundation for reform. Having that informed and honest discussion about our shared history helps us heal and then move forward together towards a treaty.

Given that we find ourselves in this situation now, the Greens are urging the government to press forward now with the establishment of a truth and justice commission and also beginning the process towards treaty, because it will take some time, but we've got to start now. In Victoria we can see the processes unfolding over a number of years. If we don't start now, it's going to be justice delayed. I urge the government to get on with the remaining elements of truth and justice and treaty.

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