The Aboriginal elder who introduced the Closing the Gap concept as a way to measure and reduce Indigenous disadvantage is urging a shift in the approach. Source: The Australian.
The decade-long national agreement on Closing the Gap signed in 2020 includes a promise to invest heavily in community-controlled Aboriginal organisations so they can do the work in key areas, including Indigenous health, child protection and crime prevention.
This is based on evidence that results are often better when the service provider is a local Aboriginal organisation with locals on its board.
However, Tom Calma, whose 2005 social justice report inspired former prime minister Kevin Rudd to create the first Closing the Gap agreement, says community-controlled organisations should not be bolstered at the expense of all else.
The former social justice commissioner says big numbers of Indigenous Australians use mainstream services and there should be a focus on ensuring those deliver what they are paid to deliver.
“Those community-controlled organisations by and large deliver a great service but we need to look at a move away from just investing in community-controlled Indigenous organisations and work much more with the private and public systems to ensure their services are culturally sound and safe,” Professor Calma said yesterday.
The latest Closing the Gap agreement has 17 targets, with just four on track to be met by the deadline in 2031. Those are targets for increased numbers of Indigenous children enrolled in early childhood education; Indigenous people in employment; Indigenous babies born a healthy weight; and increases in the area of land and sea subject to traditional owners’ rights or interests.
Annual data shows improvements in some targets but not enough to be considered on track.
Four targets are unlikely to be met because results are getting worse – Indigenous suicide is increasing, the proportion of Indigenous adults in jail is rising, the proportion of Indigenous children in state care is climbing, and the percentage of Indigenous children who are developmentally ready for year 1 is going backwards.
FULL STORY
Tom Calma call to change Indigenous Closing the Gap strategy (By Paige Taylor, The Australian)
