5 of 19 targets are on track in regards to the 'closing the gap' report
The minister for Indigenous affairs says Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain at the bottom of the social order in Australia and more needs to be done to achieve equality between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.
Transcript
00:00 Where it was very difficult reading was to see no change in the outcomes in terms of
00:09 life expectancy. We still had 88.8 years for men, 8.1 years for women and of course the
00:19 incarceration rates are still extremely difficult. We're seeing slight differences but not differences
00:28 enough. So there are some targets that are on track, an additional target on track, but
00:37 there is still a number of targets that are not on track and they are the ones that are
00:43 concerning. These things are complex and take time but an absolute focus on closing the
00:51 gap is laser like in terms of a focus. The historical legacy in this country for Aboriginal
01:03 and Torres Strait Islander people, it doesn't matter what social justice measure you choose,
01:10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are at the bottom rung of that social measure
01:18 and it's got a lot to do with history, it's got a lot to do with poverty, but I can assure
01:24 you that the government that I'm part of is absolutely focused on moving the targets.
01:30 [BLANK_AUDIO]