1 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:05,200 Speaker 1: My name is Lily Maddon and I'm a proud Arunda 2 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:10,240 Speaker 1: Bunjelung Calcuttin woman from Gadighl Country. The Daily oz acknowledges 3 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:12,479 Speaker 1: that this podcast is recorded on the lands of the 4 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 1: Gadighl people and pays respect to all Aboriginal and Torres 5 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 1: Strait Island and nations. We pay our respects to the 6 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:21,799 Speaker 1: first peoples of these countries, both past and present. 7 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:29,080 Speaker 2: Good morning and welcome to the Daily Ods. It's Tuesday, 8 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:32,080 Speaker 2: the sixth of December. I'm Sam, I'm Zarah. The closing 9 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 2: of the Gap Report for twenty twenty two is out 10 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 2: looking at areas of inequality between First Nations and non 11 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 2: First Nations Australians and while progress has been made for 12 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 2: some targets, others aren't progressing at all. 13 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 3: Indeed, in some areas the word gap feels wholly inadequate, 14 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 3: the softening of the truth that what we face is 15 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 3: not a gap but a chasm. 16 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 2: We're going to look at what the report found and 17 00:00:57,760 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 2: what the government plans to do in the deep dive 18 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 2: first era. What's making headlines this morning. 19 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 4: The Board of the Reserve Bank will meet for the 20 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:10,679 Speaker 4: final time of the calendar year today with the eighth 21 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 4: consecutive rise in the cash rate expected. The Reserve Bank 22 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 4: raised the cash rate for the first time in twelve 23 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 4: years in May to zero point three five percent, with 24 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 4: it now sitting at two point eight five percent following 25 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 4: a point twenty five percentage point increase back in November. 26 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 2: Former President Trump has been condemned after he called for 27 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 2: the termination of the US constitution. White House spokesperson Andrew 28 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:36,760 Speaker 2: Bates said in a statement quote you can not only 29 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 2: love America when you win, and labeled Trump's comments and 30 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 2: anathema to the soul of our nation. 31 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 4: New South Wales Premier Dominique Perrete has said that a 32 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,640 Speaker 4: climate change protester who was sentenced to a maximum of 33 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:52,280 Speaker 4: fifteen months behind bars for blocking part of the Hrbor 34 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 4: Bridge in April is a quote clear lesson for protesters, 35 00:01:56,240 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 4: and he added that everyone has the right to protest, 36 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 4: but to do so in a way that doesn't inconvenience people. 37 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 2: And today's good news. Rachel Davey has put us all 38 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:10,440 Speaker 2: to shame by becoming the first Australian woman to visit 39 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 2: every country on Earth. Davy and her partner saved for 40 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 2: two years and sold all their belongings. Before setting off, 41 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 2: Davey said there were quote mixed feelings, elation and a 42 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:26,519 Speaker 2: feeling of accomplishment. The latest Closing the Gap Report was 43 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 2: tabled by the Government last week and Zara gave us 44 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 2: a sense of what progress is being made to lessen 45 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:36,360 Speaker 2: inequality between First Nations and non First Nations Australians. The 46 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 2: long and short of it is that of the seventeen 47 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:41,760 Speaker 2: targets agreed to back in twenty twenty, only four are 48 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:42,640 Speaker 2: currently on track. 49 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 3: There are signs of hope and progress and it's right 50 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 3: that we acknowledged those. 51 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 2: This was Prime Minister Anthony Albanezi presenting the findings of 52 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 2: the report in Parliament. 53 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:55,119 Speaker 3: But on far too many other indicators, there is no 54 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 3: progress for us to speak of at all, or worse, 55 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:03,920 Speaker 3: in so some cases things are actually going backwards. Indeed, 56 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 3: in some areas the word gap feels wholly inadequate, a 57 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 3: softening of the truth that what we face is not 58 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:15,960 Speaker 3: a gap but a chasm. 59 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 4: Okay, So before we get into the detail of what 60 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 4: is on track and what isn't on track, can you 61 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 4: just break down what exactly the targets are and how 62 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:24,399 Speaker 4: they're set out. 63 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, So the governments. Closing the Gap aspiration started way 64 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 2: back in two thousand and seven and they originally set 65 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 2: out to close key gaps in things like life expectancy, 66 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:36,800 Speaker 2: mortality rates in children, as well as reading, writing and 67 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 2: numeracy achievements within the decade. But that group of initial 68 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 2: targets were largely unsuccessful. So in twenty twenty, all of 69 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 2: the governments around the country, led by the then Morrison government, 70 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 2: got around the table and agreed to new ones and 71 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 2: a big focus of setting these targets was more consultation, 72 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 2: more listening and involvement from first nations communities. 73 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 1: We are now making the change to how we can 74 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 1: go about this task. 75 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 2: This was then Prime Minister Scott Morrison presenting the Closing 76 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 2: the Gap Statement in twenty twenty. 77 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 3: Despite the best intentions, investments and new programs and bipartisan goodwill, 78 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 3: closing the Gap has never really been a partnership with 79 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:15,880 Speaker 3: Indigenous people. 80 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 2: And Morrison said that the targets up until that point 81 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:21,440 Speaker 2: had failed because they weren't collaborative. 82 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:23,679 Speaker 1: And that is the change we are now making together 83 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:26,279 Speaker 1: with Indigenous Australians through this process. 84 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 4: So the government set out to change the targets in 85 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:31,840 Speaker 4: twenty twenty and we're now in twenty twenty two and 86 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 4: the new Albanese government has handed down a report. What 87 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 4: did that tell us about where we're at now? Well, first, 88 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:40,320 Speaker 4: I'll give you a rundown on what the targets were. 89 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:42,920 Speaker 4: So there were seventeen and they covered a fairly wide 90 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:46,960 Speaker 4: range of areas including health, education, incarceration so how many 91 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:50,920 Speaker 4: people in prison? And economic opportunities. And there were also 92 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 4: four policy priorities which focus on involving first nations communities 93 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:59,240 Speaker 4: in decision making and improving data collection. Why didn't I 94 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:02,200 Speaker 4: start with the news? The target for ninety one percent 95 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 4: of babies to be born with a healthy weight by 96 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:07,479 Speaker 4: twenty thirty one is on track and it's really important 97 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 4: to focus on that one because it's used as an 98 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 4: indicator of how healthy the baby will be through their 99 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:15,600 Speaker 4: childhood now. According to the report, this was assisted by 100 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:18,800 Speaker 4: Commonwealth programs like a Birthing on Country model, which is 101 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 4: all about returning birthing services to communities. Another target which 102 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 4: is on track is for ninety five percent of children 103 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:28,840 Speaker 4: to be enrolled in preschool by twenty twenty five, as 104 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:31,400 Speaker 4: well as an increase in the land area with traditional 105 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 4: owner legal rights or interest. Now, the target to cut 106 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:37,200 Speaker 4: incarceration for ten to seventeen year olds by thirty percent 107 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 4: by twenty thirty one is also on track. But I 108 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:44,040 Speaker 4: will jump in here because that still represents a disproportionate 109 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 4: percentage of First Nations people in jail. 110 00:05:46,880 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, exactly. And to kind of put that into perspective, 111 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:53,080 Speaker 2: in the June quarter of last year, half of all 112 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:56,760 Speaker 2: young people in detention were First Nations people, but First 113 00:05:56,839 --> 00:05:59,720 Speaker 2: Nations people made up to six percent of the population 114 00:05:59,839 --> 00:06:02,400 Speaker 2: of ten to seventeen year olds at that time. So 115 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:05,680 Speaker 2: that is a major over a presentation. Okay, So moving 116 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 2: now to what's not on track. Well, the target for 117 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:10,920 Speaker 2: children to be ready for school isn't on track. The 118 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:14,279 Speaker 2: target to achieve a quote significant and sustained reduction in 119 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:17,479 Speaker 2: suicide rates is also not on track. The goal to 120 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 2: reduce the number of children in out of home care 121 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 2: isn't on track, or the increase in c area with 122 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 2: traditional owner rights. There's also the target to reduce adult 123 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:30,400 Speaker 2: incarceration rates that's not going as planned. On that note, 124 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:33,520 Speaker 2: the government has committed eighty one point five million dollars 125 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 2: to establish a National Justice Reinvestment Unit and to expand 126 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:40,680 Speaker 2: some existing programs, and this was something the Prime Minister 127 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:42,679 Speaker 2: mentioned when he spoke in Parliament last week. 128 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 3: Look at the lives Justice reinvestment is saving a community 129 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:53,840 Speaker 3: driven system, diverting young offenders from the downward spiral of 130 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 3: incarceration by trusting in the community and empowering people on 131 00:06:59,240 --> 00:06:59,720 Speaker 3: the ground. 132 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:02,919 Speaker 2: So zooming out. It's interesting to see the government looking 133 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:05,360 Speaker 2: at how they can expand that kind of model of 134 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:09,159 Speaker 2: focusing spending on community rather than prisons to try and 135 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 2: address the underlying causes of crime. 136 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 4: Okay, so the government's announced the look at reinvestment, what 137 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:16,680 Speaker 4: else are they going to do? 138 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:16,960 Speaker 1: Well? 139 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 2: There's a serious policy challenge ahead of the Albanese government 140 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 2: and in the report, the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Bernie, 141 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 2: issued a statement where she highlighted some of the programs 142 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 2: outlined in the last budget. We've got things like the 143 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 2: fifty four million dollars to train five hundred First Nations 144 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 2: health workers and practitioners, thirty three million dollars to make 145 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:39,560 Speaker 2: early childhood more accessible for First Nations families, and eighty 146 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:43,760 Speaker 2: one million in up to thirty community led justice reinvestment initiatives, 147 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:46,000 Speaker 2: and those are some of those diversionary programs we spoke 148 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 2: about earlier. But something else that came up as the 149 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:51,440 Speaker 2: government addressed the issues raised in this report was the 150 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:54,440 Speaker 2: idea of a voice to Parliament. Now we didn't update 151 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:56,800 Speaker 2: last week on where the voice is at and what 152 00:07:56,840 --> 00:08:00,560 Speaker 2: it means that the Nationals won't support, it was keen 153 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:02,880 Speaker 2: to point out that in their view, a first nation's 154 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:05,920 Speaker 2: voice to Parliament is a really critical step to ensure 155 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:08,720 Speaker 2: that First Nations people are at the forefront of deciding 156 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:11,520 Speaker 2: how exactly to address these issues going forward. 157 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:20,280 Speaker 4: Thanks for joining us on the Daily OS. If you 158 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 4: learned something from today's episode, don't forget to hit subscribe 159 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 4: so there's a TVA episode waiting for you every weekday morning. 160 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 4: We'll be back again tomorrow morning, but until then, have 161 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:30,920 Speaker 4: a brilliant day.