New Closing the Gap targets unveiled by PM

Only two of seven previous targets were on track to be met in the 2019 report card, prompting an overhaul and consultation with peak Indigenous bodies.

New targets to improve life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have been unveiled.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Indigenous Australians Minister Ken Wyatt on Thursday announced 16 goals for areas including education, employment, health, incarceration and housing.

The targets will underpin a new 10-year national agreement that holds state and federal governments accountable.

Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt said they are looking at what are the programs need to put in place for people coming out of imprisonment, that will give them to take opportunities. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Mr Wyatt said it was the first time an agreement designed to improve life outcomes for Indigenous people had been developed with them.

“The best outcomes are achieved when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians are equal partners with governments,” he said.

“I am extremely optimistic that we will see closures in areas to a greater extent than what we’ve seen historically in the past.”

More than 50 peak Indigenous bodies developed four priority reform areas. Government action will be reported on annually.

The Coalition of Peaks, a representative body of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community organisations, says the new agreement marks a “historic turning point” because there were unforgivable differences between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians.

“These gaps have burdened our people and caused the erosion of health and wellbeing of generations of First Nations Australians,” lead convener Pat Turner said.

“The national agreement represents a turning point in our country’s efforts to close these gaps.

“(It) may not include everything our people want or need to make lasting change to our lives, but this is a huge step forward.”

Coalition of Peaks lead convener Pat Turner says a new national agreement represents a turning point in improving life outcomes for Indigenous Australians. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said for too long, the gap was not looked at through the eyes of Indigenous Australians.

“We told Indigenous Australians what the gap was that we were going to close, and somehow thought they should be thankful for that,” Mr Morrison said.

“That was wrongheaded. That wasn’t the way to do it.”

All parties will develop implementation plans that set out how they will meet their commitments under the National Agreement.

The priority reforms commit governments to: new partnerships with indigenous communities, increase community-controlled organisations delivering closing the gap services, address structural racism within government agencies and organisations, and boost information sharing with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations to support shared decision making.

In 2008, Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Opposition leader Brendan Nelson committed to Close the Gap goals.

The Council of Australian Governments also agreed to the six targets, which were later raised to seven.

However, only two of seven were on track to be met in the 2019 report card.

They included having 95 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander four-year-olds enrolled in preschool by 2025 and to halve the year 12 attainment gap by this year.