Aboriginal

In 1998 WACOSS and its members signed a statement of Apology and Commitment recognising that “it is only through the commitment of all governments and non-government organisations to make reparation and the support of the wider community that non-indigenous and indigenous Australians can heal the wounds of the past and create a solid foundation for a shared future. Without such a commitment, the reconciliation process, embarked on with such hope, will be rendered meaningless.”

WA needs to take a new approach to Aboriginal issues. We need to treat the causes of disadvantage, as well as the symptoms. We need to recognise the reality of our history as a State, and work with a genuine commitment to reverse the wrongs of the past and present. Unless we acknowledge the trauma and pain, along with the cultural wealth, talent and opportunities of Aboriginal people, we are doing us all a disservice. Such a philosophical framework should shape our approach to working with Aboriginal communities to tackle the serious social problems experienced across the State.

The life expectancy of Aboriginal Australians is nearly 20 years below that of non-Aboriginal Australians – 59 years for males and 65 for females. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience lower levels of access to health services than the general population, in some part due to residing further from health services, and also as a result of poorer socio-economic status, lack of availability of transport and inability to speak English.

• Aboriginal infants are around 4 times more likely to die before their first birthday and 5 times more likely to succumb to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
• Unemployment rate is 2.8 times higher among Aboriginal people compared with non-Aboriginal people.
• Suicide rates for Aboriginal people are nearly three times that of other Australians.
• Aboriginal people are 11 times more likely than non-Aboriginal people to be in prison.
• In 2006, 49.9 per cent of non-Aboriginal Australians had no non-school qualification compared with 71 per cent of Aboriginal Australians
• As at 2002, the apparent retention rate for Aboriginal year 12 students was 38 per cent compared to 76.3 per cent for their non-Aboriginal counter-parts.
• In 2006, 21% of 15 year old Aboriginal people were not participating in school education.
• In 2006, Aboriginal students were half as likely as non-Aboriginal students to complete year 12.

Solutions

WACOSS believes that to make significant changes in the health, education, employment and housing status of Aboriginal people there needs to be a level of resources that is proportionate to need. The gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in health, education, employment and housing is still at an unacceptable level. We believe that by working with Aboriginal communities and investing in infrastructure and services, we can reduce the social and financial costs associated with poor health, crime, lack of education and family breakdown, immediately and in the future.

Our concerns are reflective of the concerns of many non-government organisations, such as Oxfam, whose Close the Gap report argues that the poor health experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders is preventable, given that these poor outcomes are related to socio-economic indicators such as poverty; overcrowded housing; poor sanitation; lack of access to education; poor access to medical care for accurate diagnosis and treatment; and poor nutrition.

Closing the gap

The Close the Gap campaign, which is supported by the Australian Council of Social Services and WACOSS is calling on Australian governments to take action to achieve health equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders within 25 years through:

• Increasing Indigenous Australians' access to health services.
• Addressing critical social issues such as poor housing, nutrition and education.
• Building Indigenous control and participation in the delivery of health and other services.
• Close the Gap is Australia's largest campaign to improve Indigenous health. The campaign calls on governments to commit to closing the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians within a generation and is supported by a diverse group of organisations across Australia.
• The campaign calls on Australian governments to take action to achieve health equality for Indigenous Australians within 25 years through:
• Increasing annual Indigenous health funding by $460 million to enable equal access to health services.
• Increasing Indigenous control and participation in the delivery of health services.
• Addressing critical social issues such as housing, education and self-determination which contribute to the Indigenous health crisis.
   

Additional policy initiatives

In addition, WACOSS has consistently called for State Government action in the following areas:

• The establishment of Aboriginal Healing Centres, based on the Canadian Aboriginal Friendship Centre Model.
• Seniors Care for Aboriginal People – in particular to investigate culturally appropriate and relevant services that will provide for Aboriginal seniors over the age of 55.
• Accommodation for Accessing Metropolitan Health Services – a review is needed to determine Aboriginal patient accommodation needs and to increase the availability of accommodation for that purpose.
• Patients Assistance Transport Scheme (PATS) – expand the services of PATS to provide greater support for escorts of patients from rural, regional and remote areas.
• Aboriginal Health Liaison Officers for all major hospitals in WA.
• Increased funding for Outreach Counselling Services in order to provide distributed services to Aboriginal people beyond the central metropolitan area.
• An expansion of Patrol Services in the Perth Metropolitan Area.

The National Apology

On 13th February 2008 the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made an Apology to the Stolen Generations. Later that day, Tom Calma, HREOC Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner responded to the National Apology. He said it all:

“By acknowledging and paying respect, Parliament has now laid the foundations for healing to take place and for a reconciled Australia in which everyone belongs.

For today is not just about the Stolen Generations - it is about every Australian.

Today’s actions enable every single one of us to move forward together – with joint aspirations and a national story that contains a shared past and future.”

Download the fact sheet here