"Time's Up: Uluru Statement Creators Criticize Governments Over Closing the Gap Shortcomings"

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The architects of the Uluru Statement from the Heart have dismissed the government’s attendance at Garma Festival in the wake of discouraging Closing the Gap figures, declaring there is “no accountability” for the entrenched failures.

Released on Wednesday night by the Productivity Commission, the data show stalling or even worsening outcomes for many of the CTG targets.

Aunty Pat Anderson and constitutional law professor Megan Davis, architects of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, condemned successive governments.

“Our people are being locked up, our Elders are dying, and our people are continuing to live in a country where their rights are neglected,” they said.

“Their voices and calls for help are falling on deaf ears.

“Enough is enough.”

Stagnating, worsening

Only three of the socio-economic CTG outcomes (the amount of lands and waters subject to Aboriginal interests and early childhood education) were deemed “on track” in the Productivity Commission’s data compilation report.

The percentage of healthy birth weights, as well as First Nations life expectancy, showed improvement but were not on track.

Most concerningly, four targets had regressed: child development, instances of suicide, the rate children in out of home care, as well as the number of adults in the criminal justice system.

“Of all jurisdictions with an increasing imprisonment rate and worsening progress, the Northern Territory had the largest increase,” the report states.

“Between 2019 and 2024 the age-standardised rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people imprisoned in the Northern Territory increased by 812.4 per 100,000 adults.”

It follows the introduction of several punitive bail laws in the Northern Territory by the Country Liberal Party earlier this year.

Just this week the NT Government introduced a sweeping youth justice overhaul, reviving the use of spit hoods and abolishing the principle that detention be a last resort.

The NT Government says a tough-on-crime approach is needed to reduce crime, improve public safety and deliver a better lifestyle and stronger economy.

While youth justice is marked as having seen “no change”, some in the sector have pointed out that this is in comparison to a high benchmark set in 2018.

In reality the figures show steadily worsening outcomes in the area for the last three years.

“Closing the Gap isn’t just stagnant, it’s going backwards because the data lags,” Davis and Anderson said.

“We are tired of being told, yet again, that there is no progress on Closing the Gap, there is more to do, there is more data to get, there are more bureaucrats to convince, more departments to get on board…

“We’ve had 18 years to make progress on Closing the Gap, but the same people and institutions are in charge.

“Where is the accountability? There is none.”

Performative opportunity

Their comments come as Garma, the annual summit of community, politics and ideas, held by the Yothu Yindi Foundaiton on Gumatj Country in northeast Arnhem Land, opened on Friday.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is scheduled to give a keynote address on Saturday.

During last year’s address, the first in the wake of the rejection of the Voice to Parliament, Mr Albanese appeared to walk away from his 2022 election night commitment to implement the Uluru Statement “in full”, failing to mention the remaining pillars of truth and treaty.

“Garma is imminent. A performative opportunity for the government to repeat their talking points,: progress in 10 of 15 targets,” Profesor Davis and Ms Anderson said.

“Some will lap it up. Not our people.

“But this isn’t about Garma, it’s about the disappointment … directed at the sheer magnitude of how different this year could have been if we had a voice.”