Uluru statement co-chairs say ‘Closing the Gap has failed’ on eighth anniversary of statements release

On the eighth anniversary of the Uluru statement being released, the co-chairs say ‘Closing the Gap has failed’ – as the Territory and federal government pledge to ‘work in partnership’.

Pat Anderson and Megan Davis. Pictures – Ben Fry

Progress on Closing the Gap has “failed” as the “root cause” remains unaddressed, the co-chairs of the Uluru statement say, as the latest closing the gap data shows targets are not on track to be completed.

Today is National Sorry Day, and marks eight years since the Uluru Statement from the Heart was released.

Pat Anderson and Megan Davis in front of Uluru. Picture: Ben Fry

Uluru dialogue co-chairs Pat Anderson and Megan Davis said the statement offered Australia “a gift: a road map for a better future, grounded in truth, law, love and hope for this country.”

“The Uluru Statement has reverberated far beyond that day at The Rock. It catalysed a national conversation and laid the foundation for an enduring movement,” their statement read.

“The Uluru Dialogue has publicly led the conversation about the systemic flaws of Closing the Gap for years, but it’s only now that we are seeing the growing critique of this framework. The issue is not just the data, but the structural design. It remains in the status quo.

“Any progress towards Closing the Gap has failed because they do not address the root cause: the absence of structural recognition and the denial of our rightful place in the governance of our own affairs.”

NT Aboriginal affairs minister Steve Edgington. Picture: Gera Kazakov

NT Aboriginal affairs minister Steve Edgington said the Territory government’s current Aboriginal affairs policy “seeks to restore control of communities to Aboriginal people, strengthen service delivery, and foster self-determination”.

Mr Edgington said the Territory government is also “making major investments into remote services across the Territory”.

This included the federal government’s $842.6 million commitment to the NT remote Aboriginal Investment, Mr Edgington said.

Earlier this year in March, the CLP government officially abandoned plans for a treaty and will not pursue future local decision making agreements.

The move was “deeply disappointing”, Aboriginal Peak Organisations NT said at the time.

The move came a month after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told federal parliament only five Closing the Gap targets are on track – with four worsening.

An NT Police Vehicle in the remote community of Kalkarindgi. Picture: Glenn Campbell

Current Closing the Gap data from March this year shows the four targets – children thriving, criminal justice, child protection, and social and emotional wellbeing – are still heading backward.

The NT government “remains committed” to Closing the Gap, Mr Edgington said, who as a Aboriginal affairs minister will “continue to represent the Northern Territory on the joint council on Closing the Gap”.

“In addition, we are investing in programs and services that tackle the root cause of some of the most complex issues that children and families are experiencing in the Territory,” he said.

“These include programs such as school attendance and engagement officers, the circuit breaker program and our $36 million annual investment in domestic, family and sexual violence prevention to improve the wellbeing and safety of all children, young people and families in the Northern Territory.”

A federal government spokesperson said “the Albanese Government will continue to work in partnership with state and territory governments, the Coalition of Peaks and First Nations people on Closing the Gap”.

Originally published as Uluru statement co-chairs say ‘Closing the Gap has failed’ on eighth anniversary of statements release