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https://theconversation.com/the-government-is-well-behind-on-closing-the-gap-this-is-why-we-needed-a-voice-to-parliament-223309>
"Another year, and another
Closing the Gap report comes before the parliament
and the Australian people. This year, however, the scene is somewhat different.
The 2024
Closing the Gap report is the first since Australians resoundingly
rejected the proposal to enshrine a First Nations Voice to Parliament in the
Constitution.
That proposal would have given Indigenous peoples across this country a much
greater say in the decisions that affect us, and given us more control over our
own affairs and in our own communities. But it failed at the ballot box. Every
jurisdiction (bar the ACT) voted “no” to putting this idea into our
Constitution, ensuring its longevity and stability, and allowing our input into
our affairs to become mainstream.
With that in mind, it’s unsurprising that in this year’s
Closing the Gap
report, the government outlines that just four of the 19 targets are on track
to be bridged. Yes, four out of 19. That’s a little more than one in five. Not
only that, but four measures have got worse. Government is continuing to fail
our communities. And we all had a chance to fix it.
The government has announced some welcome measures, including creating a
National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and
Young People – a long overdue initiative. It’s also committed to building
remote training hubs and improving community wifi services for around 20 remote
communities. Small measures, but they don’t address the structural nature of
our powerlessness.
While the referendum failed, there clearly remains a dire need in our
communities for fundamental change. So what does the
Closing the Gap Report
this year represent for mob? How can the way government interacts with
Indigenous people and communities be improved?"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
