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| States call for Turnbull government to push back closing the gap deadline | States call for Turnbull government to push back closing the gap deadline |
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| States want more time for consultation due to risk of reinforcing view ‘government doesn’t listen to Indigenous people’ | |
| Calla Wahlquist | |
| Wed 1 Nov 2017 07.04 GMT | |
| Last modified on Wed 1 Nov 2017 07.12 GMT | |
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| State governments have called on the Turnbull government to push back the deadline on resetting the closing the gap targets to allow more time for consultation or risk reinforcing the view that “this government doesn’t listen to Indigenous people”. | State governments have called on the Turnbull government to push back the deadline on resetting the closing the gap targets to allow more time for consultation or risk reinforcing the view that “this government doesn’t listen to Indigenous people”. |
| Indigenous affairs ministers from South Australia, the Northern Territory, Victoria, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory wrote to federal Indigenous affairs minister Nigel Scullion this week suggesting the deadline for setting new targets be pushed from July 2018 to December 2018 “to accommodate jurisdictions’ respective cultural sensitivities, caretaker periods and seasonal weather considerations”. | Indigenous affairs ministers from South Australia, the Northern Territory, Victoria, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory wrote to federal Indigenous affairs minister Nigel Scullion this week suggesting the deadline for setting new targets be pushed from July 2018 to December 2018 “to accommodate jurisdictions’ respective cultural sensitivities, caretaker periods and seasonal weather considerations”. |
| The ministers, who all represent Labor governments, have also called for the discussion paper to be rewritten, saying they found the language it used confusing. | The ministers, who all represent Labor governments, have also called for the discussion paper to be rewritten, saying they found the language it used confusing. |
| The Turnbull government hopes to develop draft targets by February, to ensure the new targets are in place before a number of the existing targets, which were set in 2008, expire on 30 June. | The Turnbull government hopes to develop draft targets by February, to ensure the new targets are in place before a number of the existing targets, which were set in 2008, expire on 30 June. |
| South Australia Aboriginal affairs and reconciliation minister, Kyam Maher, said the federal government’s decision to dismiss the Referendum Council proposal of a constitutionally-enshrined voice to parliament meant many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people already thought their views would not be heard. | South Australia Aboriginal affairs and reconciliation minister, Kyam Maher, said the federal government’s decision to dismiss the Referendum Council proposal of a constitutionally-enshrined voice to parliament meant many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people already thought their views would not be heard. |
| “I think not allowing enough time on the consultation of the closing the gap targets just reinforces a view that this federal government doesn’t listen to Indigenous people,” Maher told Guardian Australia. “In all of the discussions I’ve had over the last week since Malcolm Turnbull dismissed what came out of Uluru, Aboriginal leaders are constantly telling me that they see that as demonstrating that their views are not being listened to, and I think not allowing proper consultation on a refresh of closing the gap will just reinforce that.” | “I think not allowing enough time on the consultation of the closing the gap targets just reinforces a view that this federal government doesn’t listen to Indigenous people,” Maher told Guardian Australia. “In all of the discussions I’ve had over the last week since Malcolm Turnbull dismissed what came out of Uluru, Aboriginal leaders are constantly telling me that they see that as demonstrating that their views are not being listened to, and I think not allowing proper consultation on a refresh of closing the gap will just reinforce that.” |
| Maher said the timeline proposed by the federal government, which would see the bulk of consultation occur over the next three months, caused particular problems with remote communities. | Maher said the timeline proposed by the federal government, which would see the bulk of consultation occur over the next three months, caused particular problems with remote communities. |
| “In South Australia, particularly in our remote communities, there is a lot of traditional business that occurs during the summer months, as well as people moving out of communities as the weather gets very hot,” he said. “We know that November, December, January it’s actually difficult to do widespread meaningful consultation.” | “In South Australia, particularly in our remote communities, there is a lot of traditional business that occurs during the summer months, as well as people moving out of communities as the weather gets very hot,” he said. “We know that November, December, January it’s actually difficult to do widespread meaningful consultation.” |
| Without proper consultation, he said, it is unlikely the redesigned targets would be any more successful than the current goals, of which only one in seven is on track. He said those views were expressed in a “robust discussion” at last week’s meeting. | Without proper consultation, he said, it is unlikely the redesigned targets would be any more successful than the current goals, of which only one in seven is on track. He said those views were expressed in a “robust discussion” at last week’s meeting. |
| “Things work better when things are done with Aboriginal people rather than for or to Aboriginal people,” he said. “Putting an artificial time limit on having things done by February or June I’m quite certain won’t lead to the best possible outcome.” | “Things work better when things are done with Aboriginal people rather than for or to Aboriginal people,” he said. “Putting an artificial time limit on having things done by February or June I’m quite certain won’t lead to the best possible outcome.” |
| Victorian Aboriginal affairs minister Natalie Hutchins said she would not support resetting the targets without meaningful consultation and buy-in from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and organisations. | Victorian Aboriginal affairs minister Natalie Hutchins said she would not support resetting the targets without meaningful consultation and buy-in from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and organisations. |
| “At the end of the day we will just continue to fail to close the gap, and quite frankly it’s a real slap in the face to try and do this without the Aboriginal voice in the centre of it,” Hutchins told Guardian Australia. “It’s a real slap-down to reconciliation.” | “At the end of the day we will just continue to fail to close the gap, and quite frankly it’s a real slap in the face to try and do this without the Aboriginal voice in the centre of it,” Hutchins told Guardian Australia. “It’s a real slap-down to reconciliation.” |
| Western Australia minister Ben Wyatt said the new targets should be “driven by Aboriginal people” and added: “It is disappointing the federal government is seemingly so adverse to consultation in this policy area.” | Western Australia minister Ben Wyatt said the new targets should be “driven by Aboriginal people” and added: “It is disappointing the federal government is seemingly so adverse to consultation in this policy area.” |
| Scullion accused the states of playing “petty politics with closing the gap” and criticised state ministers for sending the letter to the media at the same time they sent it to him. | Scullion accused the states of playing “petty politics with closing the gap” and criticised state ministers for sending the letter to the media at the same time they sent it to him. |
| “It is very disappointing the Labor states are choosing to play petty politics with closing the gap,” he said. | “It is very disappointing the Labor states are choosing to play petty politics with closing the gap,” he said. |
| “It’s disappointing the Labor states seem to think they cannot deliver genuine engagement with First Australians to design a new agenda by June next year, after Coag agreed to progress a refreshed agenda in June 2017,” Scullion told the ABC. | “It’s disappointing the Labor states seem to think they cannot deliver genuine engagement with First Australians to design a new agenda by June next year, after Coag agreed to progress a refreshed agenda in June 2017,” Scullion told the ABC. |
| Tasmania and New South Wales, which both have Liberal governments, said they are committed to meeting the set timeline. | Tasmania and New South Wales, which both have Liberal governments, said they are committed to meeting the set timeline. |
| “The NSW government has a strong track record in engaging with our Aboriginal communities on a wide range of issues,” NSW Aboriginal affairs minister Sally Mitchell said. “Engaging with our Aboriginal communities in regards to the closing the gap targets, in a timely manner, is no exception.” | “The NSW government has a strong track record in engaging with our Aboriginal communities on a wide range of issues,” NSW Aboriginal affairs minister Sally Mitchell said. “Engaging with our Aboriginal communities in regards to the closing the gap targets, in a timely manner, is no exception.” |
| A spokesman for Tasmanian premier and Aboriginal affairs minister Will Hodgman said he would work with Tasmanian Aboriginal people to refresh the targets “over the agreed timeframes”. | A spokesman for Tasmanian premier and Aboriginal affairs minister Will Hodgman said he would work with Tasmanian Aboriginal people to refresh the targets “over the agreed timeframes”. |
| The National Congress, which was invited by Scullion to take part in drafting the new targets and addressed the Coag meeting last week, has backed calls for an extended timeframe in order to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have time to take part in consultations. | The National Congress, which was invited by Scullion to take part in drafting the new targets and addressed the Coag meeting last week, has backed calls for an extended timeframe in order to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have time to take part in consultations. |
| “I don’t think we should rush at this, but I think we should continue to progress it so that we are going to get the best outcome possible,” cochair Rod Little said. “The states and territories know their communities and if they are concerned that there will not be able to be proper consultation then that should be carefully considered.” | “I don’t think we should rush at this, but I think we should continue to progress it so that we are going to get the best outcome possible,” cochair Rod Little said. “The states and territories know their communities and if they are concerned that there will not be able to be proper consultation then that should be carefully considered.” |
| Little said he was concerned the draft discussion paper, which he has not seen in full, used language that was too bureaucratic and not easily understood by communities who wished to have a say on the process. | Little said he was concerned the draft discussion paper, which he has not seen in full, used language that was too bureaucratic and not easily understood by communities who wished to have a say on the process. |
| “If we are going to do it we need to do it right because the last 10 years we have seen the failings,” he said. “People don’t have another 10 years to be waiting around.” | “If we are going to do it we need to do it right because the last 10 years we have seen the failings,” he said. “People don’t have another 10 years to be waiting around.” |
| Indigenous Australians | |
| South Australia | |
| Northern Territory | |
| Victoria | |
| Western Australia | |
| Australian Capital Territory (ACT) | |
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