The ACT has become the first State or Territory to formerly join a national partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak bodies aimed at closing the gap.
Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Rachel Stephen-Smith said the agreement established a formal partnership between the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations.
“It fundamentally changes how Governments work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples towards closing the gap,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
“It ensures Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices are at the table as new targets and strategies are developed to address the unacceptable gap in life outcomes between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous Australians.”
She said the partnership agreement guaranteed that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations would be sitting alongside Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers, co-designing the new closing the gap framework and ensuring it was implemented effectively.
“We know that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have the answers and the ACT Government has expressed concern throughout the closing the gap refresh process that their voices were not being heard,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
“We have welcomed the Coalition of Peaks’ advocacy to turn that around and were very pleased to sign the partnership agreement.”
She said she looked forward to continuing the work to finalise the closing the gap framework with the Coalition of Peaks and her Commonwealth, State and Territory counterparts.
