Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Sixteen years ago, on the first parliamentary sitting day of a new Labor government, First Nations communities around Australia embraced a formal apology for the unjust and inhumane treatment experienced by our mothers, our fathers, our grandmothers and grandfathers, and our great-grandmothers and great-grandfathers—in particular, the stolen generations. On that day in 2008, our country turned a new page in Australia's history, focused on moving forward to the future with confidence and with hope in the new relationship between the Commonwealth and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

A key part of this work has been undertaken through the Closing the Gap framework, which aims to reduce disparity between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Aboriginal people on key health, education and economic opportunity targets. The Productivity Commission's review into the progress of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, released earlier this month, was not the message of headway and optimism that I know many wanted it to be. I have already spoken in this chamber about the review, and I hope to emphasise its message of sovereignty and self-determination. We know that the same old paternalistic assumption of 'government knows best' has not worked. For decades, government organisations and agencies have engaged with communities by consulting on a predetermined solution. It is no surprise to many of our mob around this country that this approach does not deliver any real outcomes. As First Nations leaders have said since long before my time, we have the solutions to the issues that we face. Our mob are resilient and innovative, and we will continue to be so in all matters affecting our lives.

The Albanese Labor government understands that, if we truly want to enable better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, government must do more than just consultation and partnerships. We must empower First Peoples with shared decision-making and focus on working with communities to identify priorities and co-design the best approach to achieving them. We are advancing on this front, and the experiences, needs and solutions of First Nations Australians are becoming a centrepiece of the national conversation.

The Albanese Labor government reaffirms our commitment and our determination to make practical progress for the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians under the Closing the Gap agreement. Since coming to government, we've begun the change—to treat politics differently. We will continue to deliver on the Closing the Gap implementation plan by working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, not by telling mob what they need.

A good example of our government doing this happened in just the last fortnight, when the Minister for Indigenous Australians announced that we will establish a national commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people—something that has been long called for by our community. The commissioner will be appointed as early as mid-2024 and will focus on evidence based programs and policies to deliver results for First Nations young people, because supporting our young people to get the best start in life will shape not only their futures but also the futures of our communities. Promoting the voices of First Nations children through this commissioner will unlock the productivity that we know exists there now and will into the future. It's important that we get this right, for our kids.

When the Labor government pledged to bridge the divide between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in 2008, this nation turned a new page in our history. This government will add to our significant delivery of better health, housing, education and employment services, and ensure that all First Nations Australians can live longer, healthier and happier lives. I could name the long list of actions that this government is undertaking, but I will let the actions speak for themselves.

Of course, there is a lot more to be done on economic empowerment of First Nations people, and we are getting on with this job, too. We will continue to build economic strength in all of our communities, giving our children the opportunities and the safe and prosperous futures that they deserve. That is what is most important. Australia has nothing to lose by elevating First Nations people, knowledge, systems and businesses, but we have so much to gain as a nation.