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On 20 December 2007, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed to a partnership between all levels of government to work with Indigenous1 communities to achieve the target of ‘closing the gap’ on Indigenous disadvantage; and notably, to close the 17-year gap in life expectancy within a generation, and to halve the mortality rate of Indigenous children within ten-years.

In my 2005 Social Justice Report1, I argued that it was unacceptable for a country as rich as ours, and one based on the notion of the ‘fair go’ and the ‘level playing field’, to tolerate the gross health inequality that has existed between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians for at long as records have been kept. I called for action, and I made recommendations that set out a broad path to…

That the governments of Australia commit to achieving equality of health status and life expectation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous people within 25 years.

We, the undersigned, are deeply concerned that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have not shared in the health gains enjoyed by other Australians in the last 100 years. It is a national scandal that Indigenous Australians live 17 years less than other Australians. Indigenous Australians continue to needlessly suffer and die early, not from a lack of solutions or government commitments…

‘Governments can make a real difference in the lives of indigenous people by addressing social and economic disadvantage, including life expectancy, and improving governance and service delivery arrangements with indigenous people.

COAG today agreed to a partnership between all levels of government to work with Indigenous communities to achieve the target of closing the gap on Indigenous disadvantage. COAG committed to:

Our challenge for the future is to embrace a new partnership between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The core of this partnership for the future is closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians on life expectancy, educational achievement and employment opportunities.

The Council of Australian Governments has agreed to a partnership between all levels of government to work with Indigenous Australian communities to achieve the target of closing the gap on Indigenous disadvantage. COAG committed to:

The Council of Australian Governments has agreed to a partnership between all levels of government and Indigenous Australian communities to achieve the target of closing the gap on Indigenous disadvantage. In relation to Indigenous Australians’ health, COAG has committed to:

I begin by paying my respects to the Jagera and Turrubual peoples, the traditional owners of the land where we gather today. I pay my respects to your elders, to the ancestors and to those who have come before us. And thank you for your generous welcome to country for all of us.

Since the release of the 2005 Social Justice Report, a coalition of organisations and individuals has worked for the adoption of its recommendations and an end to Indigenous health inequality in Australia:

That the federal Government request the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to provide to COAG information on the actions that need to be taken in order to improve Indigenous data collection. The ABS should respond to the suggestions made by the Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service Delivery in the Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage Report 2003, as well as identify actions…

During 2003, the government's approach to reconciliation has continued to be restricted to measures that fall within its 'practical' reconciliation approach. This has the consequence of there being a partial framework for progressing reconciliation with significant issues of unfinished business left in abeyance. The report establishes that progress in advancing 'practical' reconciliation over the…

In its communique of 5 April 2002, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed to trial a whole-of-government cooperative approach in up to 10 communities or regions of Australia. Appendix 2 of the report provides a detailed overview of the structure of the trials, and progress in each trial site.

There has been increased attention over the past year to the nature of the relationship between government and Indigenous peoples. There has been a lot of talk from governments about the need to change the way they interact with and provide services to Indigenous peoples and communities. This has largely occurred as a result of the significant policy focus of Indigenous peoples and governments on…

'In supporting the reunification of ATSIC and ATSIS, I support the retention of the conflict of interest directions within ATSIC by which ATSIC's elected representatives would continue to set policy priorities and to decide the broad program allocation of funding but not have any involvement in making individual funding decisions.

Over the past year, there has been significant concern expressed about petrol sniffing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities at the national level. The phenomenon of petrol-sniffing is, however, not well-understood and there is no reliable national data on the number of people involved and the extent of resulting damage to individuals and communities.

There is no issue currently causing more destruction to the fabric of Indigenous communities than family violence. This has been acknowledged by all levels of government in recent years, with a number of significant inquiries and initiatives undertaken or commenced at the federal, state and territory level to address its impact.

Media Pack: PROGRESS IN ADDRESSING INDIGENOUS DISADVANTAGE INCOME Gross household income for Indigenous people increased by 11% between 1996 and 2001. In 2001, it was 62% of the rate for non-Indigenous Australians, compared to 64% in 1996. Median gross individual income for Indigenous people increased by 19% from 1996 to 2001, compared to an increase of 28.4% for non-Indigenous people. There…