‘Gap’ not closing fast enough – Minister Burney

Closing the Gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians and the wider Australian community was a top priority for the Albanese Labor Government, Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney says, but the Productivity Commission’s latest data shows a number of key Closing the Gap targets are not ‘on track’.

“The gap is not closing fast enough,”

Minister Burney said.

“I know many people are frustrated by the lack of progress.”

Of the new data, nine targets were ‘not on track’ and just two targets were ‘on track’ – combined with the existing data, that meant there were 11 targets ‘not on track’ and four ‘on track’.

The data showed some encouraging increases in the employment target, as well as land mass subject to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s legal rights or interests.

“It is particularly disappointing to see the target for healthy birthweights for babies has gone from being ‘on track’ to ‘not on track’,” Minister Burney said.

“More of the same isn’t good enough.

“We need to do things differently by working in partnership