Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Okay, thank you. The report this year from the steering committee is in fact a 10-year review of the Closing the Gap strategy and recommendations for reset. I always start from this point because this is the community who are reporting on the efforts that have been made to close the gap. This year, I've got to say that, while Senator Dodson just made the comment about the more positive aspects, and the government's report is certainly better than last year's, unfortunately I don't think the 10-year review makes very happy reading at all. It points out that in fact the 10-year strategy was abandoned after five years, and I notice that the minister just made comments on that. In fact, the strategy was effectively abandoned after five years, when this government cut half a billion dollars worth of funding out of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's programs through the health programs and through all the other areas of funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

This report finds that we are not on target to achieve life expectancy equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by 2030, and it won't be met if this current course continues—and in fact that's what the government's report finds. It finds that mortality and life expectancy gaps are actually widening due to the gains in these areas by the non-Aboriginal population.

The report outlines that the Closing the Gap strategy, as I articulated, was effectively abandoned after five years. The report also outlines that there is urgent need for the strategy to be reset, based on the existing Close the Gap Statement of Intent commitments, with a corresponding national response and equitable needs based investment. At the same time, the government should not take their eyes off the main game, as they put it, which is sustainable long-term improvement to the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by addressing the underlying structural factors, treating the causes rather than focusing on the symptoms.

This is particularly important, because what I haven't heard from government, from either the Prime Minister or the minister, is a proper acknowledgment that these underlying structural factors need to be addressed. The minister made these fantastic statements about the Aboriginal owned industry and business powering the charge. That does not address these underlying structural issues. If we don't address them, we are not going to achieve closing the gap in life expectancy. These causes that need to be addressed include social determinants, institutional racism, the quality of housing—we've heard how the government is abandoning its commitment to agreements on remote housing—and access to appropriate primary health care. Without addressing these causes, it is unlikely that we are going to see permanent health gains and life expectancy and quality.

They state:

A refreshed Closing the Gap Strategy must focus on delivering equality of opportunity in relation to health goods and services, especially primary health care, according to need and in relation to health infrastructure (an adequate and capable health workforce, housing, food, water). This should be in addition to the focus on maternal and infant health, chronic disease and other health needs. The social determinants of health inequality (income, education, racism) also must be addressed at a fundamental level.

Of utmost importance is self-determination. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their communities should be determining where the resources should be invested.

The report also speaks of a funding myth with regard to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. The myth relates to 'dedicated health expenditure being a waste of taxpayer funds'. This myth has to be tackled head on. They say:

… the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population have, on average, 2.3 times the disease burden of non-Indigenous people.

Therefore, spending on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health requires higher expenditure to tackle this. They say:

Yet on a per person basis, Australian government health expenditure was $1.38 per Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person for every $1.00 spent per non-Indigenous person in 2013-14. So, for the duration of the Closing the Gap Strategy Australian government expenditure was not commensurate with these substantially greater and more complex health needs.

This is still true today, so increased expenditure is needed.

The report makes six recommendations, with a number of points. These relate to the refreshed strategy being co-designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health leaders, and proper community consultation; a tripartite approach with state and territory governments; reinvigorating the architecture, such as the national agreement; federal leadership; national funding agreements; targets; implementation plans and accountability; and addressing the social determinants of health inequality. Those are the sorts of things we should be doing. That is not what we heard from the government's report. As I said, they made a great show of talking about the business they have helped to drive, which does not address these fundamental issues.

Yes, we have seen some progress in three of the seven targets, but we have seen things fall backwards before. With the three targets that are on track, I think we need to be looking at the data in much greater detail. Key things like employment and reading and numeracy are not being attained. And, of course, we've heard that closing the gap in life expectancy is not on track, and nor is school attendance. Many of these areas are subject to top-down punitive approaches, such as school attendance. School attendance in remote communities, which Senator Scullion keeps claiming credit for—going around and rounding people up—is not improving our target for school attendance. The failing, flawed, policy of the Community Development Program is having a disastrous impact in communities. It is undermining progress on trying to make sure that we close the gap. Flawed punitive policies such as income management and the cashless welfare card are things being done to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, not with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The government said today that they are going to set up another select committee on recognition. They have already rejected out of hand the Uluru statement and a voice to parliament. I heard the ALP talk about legislation for the voice to parliament. The community wants change to the Constitution. Unless that's on the table, I know a lot of people in community are going to say, 'Why bother, if you're not prepared to talk about that?' Ultimately we need to talk about sovereignty and a treaty. That is fundamental to this country. It's fundamental to ensure that we close the gap. It's fundamental that we address that ultimate use of dispossession and colonisation in this place. I heard not one word from the government about those very serious issues. We need to address that unfinished business if we're going to truly close the gap.