2016-08-30
Senator Rachel Siewert has announced the Australian Greens commitment to the Redfern Statement, which sets out a plan for addressing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander disadvantage in the 45th Parliament.
“In the new 45th Parliament, the Federal Government has the opportunity to reset efforts to Close the Gap and achieve reconciliation with our First Peoples, and should aim to do so quickly, effectively and in close consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
“I will stand today with National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples in Canberra and commit to their calls for urgent action on reconciling our First Peoples whilst ending disproportionate disadvantage.
“Part of the Redfern Statement points out that in the past 25 years over 400 recommendations have been made to reduce crippling disadvantage for our First Peoples, most of which have only been implemented in part or ignored all together.
“There are lives at stake, it is time to genuinely act with vigour to address disproportionate disadvantage across the board and work with our First Peoples in a well-resourced and consultative setting to close the gap once and for all”.