The latest Closing the Gap agreement has been billed as 'historic' and 'practical'. But the fine print is vague and the targets lack ambition. Meanwhile, one key word is missing completely.
The revamped Closing the Gap agreement is a significant achievement for Indigenous organisations. But we need more detail about who will be responsible for what.
The government will unveil 16 targets for Indigenous advancement, when Scott Morrison announces on Thursday a new national agreement on “Closing the Gap”.
The 12th Closing the Gap report shows disappointing results on key targets, including child mortality, school attendance literacy and numeracy, employment and life expectancy.
Morrison this week delivered to an audience of big business what was described as his most important speech for the rest of the year.
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Next week begins the year's final parliamentary fortnight, and the main attention will be on the fate of two bills - the ensuring integrity legislation, and the medevac repeal.
There’s ample evidence that a government-led approach to Indigenous policy-making has not always led to good outcomes for Indigenous peoples.
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The Coalition government is stressing partnerships and accountability in its Indigenous policies, but PM Scott Morrison is actually taking a top-down approach and ignoring Indigenous advice.
‘It’s really an appalling story of lack of accountability [and] lack of oversight by this government’, says Michelle Grattan on the findings in the interim report from the aged care royal commission.
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As the first Indigenous federal cabinet minister, Ken Wyatt is widely respected in first peoples communities, but by the same token, the expectations on him are very high.
The process will also develop ways to get more Indigenous input to state and local decisions, especially on the issue of service delivery.
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Two prominent Indigenous Australians have been appointed to chair a senior advisory group to oversee an extensive process for developing options for an Indigenous "voice to government".
“We have not yet had true reconciliation, and a country that is not truly reconciled is not truly whole,” says Anthony Albanese at the Garma Festival.
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Anthony Albanese says an Indigenous Voice must be enshrined in the Constitution, making it difficult to see how he and Scott Morrison will be able to agree on a referendum question.
The Queensland treaty process is still in the early stages and negotiations will not begin for several years. But it’s still a historic step forward for Indigenous communities.
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Queensland has become the latest state or territory to embark on an Indigenous treaty process. But for lasting progress to be made, the federal government cannot shirk its responsibility.
The government has announced its plan to put a referendum this term to recognise Indigenous Australians in the Constitution.
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Michelle Grattan speaks with University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor Deep Saini about the government's plans to put forward a referendum to recognise Indigenous Australians in the Constitution.
The government’s proposal for a referendum will only happen if it can get consensus on the content of what would go into the constitution, and there’s a high probability of a favourable outcome.
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It would be another miracle if the Morrison government managed to have a referendum passed to give Australia's Indigenous people constitutional recognition.
In his first major policy address, Ken Wyatt noted how previous governments have failed Indigenous Australians with a ‘top-down, command and control approach.’
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Ken Wyatt's promise of a referendum on constitutional recognition within three years marks a dramatic shift from the Turnbull government's rejection of the Uluru Statement of the Heart.
Ken Wyatt proposed plans for constitutional recognition for Indigenous Australians during this parliamentary term.
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Ken Wyatt on constitutional recognition for Indigenous Australians
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Ken Wyatt says he is "optimistic about achieving [constitutional recognition] because...Australians will generally accept an opportunity to include Aboriginal people" and that he will work with "naysayers".
The Morrison government has begun seeking the counsel of Indigenous leaders on the best way forward on constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians.
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Ken Wyatt, the Minister for Indigenous Australians, announced plans to hold a referendum to enshrine constitutional recognition of Australia's Indigenous peoples during this parliamentary term.