Page 1144 - Week 03 - Thursday, 22 March 2012
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I move:
That the Assembly takes note of the paper.
I acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land we are meeting on, the Ngunnawal people. I respect their continuing culture and cherish the contribution they make to the life of our city and our region. I also acknowledge and welcome other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people attending today.
I stand to make a statement because today is National Close the Gap Day. The poorer health of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples when compared to the non-Indigenous population is no secret. Madam Assistant Speaker, something can be done.
Since 2006, Australia’s peak Indigenous and non-Indigenous health bodies, NGOs and human rights organisations have worked together to achieve health and life expectation equality for Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This is known as the close the gap campaign. The campaign’s goal is to close the health and life expectancy gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians within a generation.
The close the gap statement of intent signed in 2007 by the Prime Minister, opposition leader and peak Indigenous health bodies is the touchstone of that campaign. It lists as commitments the main elements of the campaign’s approach to achieving Indigenous health equality and has now been signed by almost all the governments and oppositions of the states and territories.
National Close the Gap Day is a way for all Australians to join together and remind their political leaders of our commitments to close the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians within a generation. The focus for 2012 is on the need for genuine, meaningful partnership with Indigenous peoples at all stages of health planning and delivery.
There are now over 175,000 supporters of this campaign. Today, in schools and workplaces all over Australia, tens of thousands of people, many for the first time, are involved in registered close the gap events. They are taking a stand to highlight that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a 17-year shorter average lifespan; higher child mortality rates; higher levels of chronic disease; lack of access to basic health care in remote communities; and a shortage of culturally safe and appropriate health services in many urban, regional and remote communities.
Today I put on record this government’s wholehearted support for the actions that the National Close the Gap Day requires. The declaration I make this day to all of us here in this place is to join in our commitment and determination to close the gap in health outcomes between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians within a generation.
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