States ‘fail to deliver’ on vows to close Indigenous gap

State and territory leaders stand accused of failing to pull their weight to help close the gap and wasting commonwealth funding meant to improve outcomes for Indigenous Australians.

Opposition child protection spokeswoman Kerrynne Liddle has accused state and territory leaders of failing to pull their weight to help close the gap and wasting commonwealth funding meant to improve outcomes for Indigenous Australians. Picture: Martin Ollman / NewsWire

State and territory leaders stand accused of failing to pull their weight to help close the gap and wasting commonwealth funding meant to improve outcomes for Indigenous Australians.

The criticism from opposition child protection spokeswoman Kerrynne Liddle came as she branded as “flawed” Anthony Albanese’s claim his failed voice referendum was not a personal loss, arguing all Australians would have benefited if outcomes were improved for First Nations people.

The Prime Minister on Monday said the referendum result was not “a loss for him” because he was not Indigenous and the debate was not about politicians.

Mr Albanese’s remarks sparked anger among senior figures in the Yes campaign, and one Aboriginal leader said the remarks were proof white Australia would take no responsibility for rejection of the voice.

Senator Liddle on Tuesday urged states and territories to take responsibility for helping to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians amid concern taxpayer funding was being put into meaningless programs. She called for an audit into commonwealth spending on First Nations issues.

The South Australian Liberal senator said state and commonwealth programs should have funding cut if they were not evidence-based or tied to specific outcomes to help close the gap.

“We must work on evidence-based programs with a focus on service delivery, transparency and improving governance, and be prepared to get rid of programs if they are not value for money,” she said.

The Productivity Commission was scathing of the performance of all governments in the revamped Closing The Gap agreement published in July. In its draft report on the agreement, the PC excoriated the nation’s governments and their bureaucracies for failing to listen to Indigenous Australians.

The report said attempts to revitalise the Closing The Gap policy have failed to make any difference on the ground.

Progress under the new agreement is so disappointing, the PC suggests a watchdog to force states and territories to make the changes they promised when they signed it in 2020.

The PC also said in its draft report that there needs to be room for an authority that can “sanction” governments that make decisions that either contravene the Closing The Gap agreement or that hurt Indigenous communities.

Opposition Indigenous affairs spokeswoman Jacinta Nampijinpa Price said Mr Albanese’s comments on radio showed he had failed to take responsibility for the voice referendum.

“This was the Prime Minister’s referendum and Australians know that, he’s just showing once again that he’s not a PM who takes responsibility for his mistakes,” Senator Price said.

Senator Liddle added that Mr Albanese had let all Australians down in his handling of the voice campaign after he failed to listen to divergent views outside his own, as she accused him of “completely misreading the Australian public”.

“He completely misread the Australian public, he ignored the views and input that was not useful to his own argument, and the result is the result,” she said.

“I believe … his focus should immediately be on what can be done to improve the lives of Indigenous people.

“There was clearly no plan B.”

“What is the plan B? There is no plan B, I haven’t seen it, I haven’t heard it and I think the most vulnerable people aren’t feeling it.”