The resumption of Federal Parliament in 2014 saw the Prime Minister release the sixth 'Closing the Gap' report. The Closing the Gap in Indigenous Disadvantage Framework was established by the Council of Australian Governments in 2008. It sets specific targets for closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in life expectancy, child mortality, education and employment.
Mr Abbott said that although progress has been made with some objectives, such as halving child mortality and boosting enrolment in preschools, it is clear that there is much more work to be done. One of the more worrying findings of the report was around Indigenous employment where progress had actually slipped backwards over the past few years with only 30 per cent of Indigenous adults in remote areas employed in a mainstream job.
Despite the disheartening findings both party leaders affirmed their passionate commitment to ‘close the gap,’ the apparent bipartisan support for Indigenous recognition in the Constitution and the addition of a new goal to close the gap in school attendance within five years.
Please click on this link to view the 'Closing the Gap Prime Minister's Report 2014'.