On National Close the Gap Day, SUFY is concerned that the latest data shows that only four of the 19 targets are on track to be met. SUFY finds it profoundly troubling that other key targets have gone backwards, in particular,
- Children thriving
- Criminal justice
- Child protection; and
- Suicide rates (social and emotional wellbeing).
SUFY is worried that the recent trend of state and territory governments to enact policies, such as lowering the age of criminal responsibility, the tightening of bail laws and the introduction in Queensland of ‘Adult Crime, Adult Time’ are deliberately harming Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, especially children and young people.
This is not good enough and SUFY urges all Australian governments to renew their commitment to the national agreement by taking meaningful actions to fully implement the priority reforms.
Source: Dashboard | Closing the Gap Information Repository – Productivity Commission
