By PETER ROWE – EDITOR
Closing the Gap is about many things that relate closely to First Nations people – and as we discovered only a couple of weeks ago – very few hot topic items are getting ticks of approval.
In fact some areas of concern are going backwards. One is young people in regional and remote communities.
Poor education outcomes and a lack of economic opportunity has seen, according to the Productivity Commission, a frightening increase in suicide rates among young Aboriginal people.
Indigenous men and women under the age of 25 face high rates of suicide – in fact it’s the leading cause of death in that age group.
212 Aboriginal suicide deaths were recorded across NSW, QLD, WA, SA and NT in 2022.
In 2018 the number was 174. That represents an increase in the rate per 100,000 people from 25.2 in 2018 to 29.9 in 2022.
And male suicides are the worst. 46.3 deaths per 100,000 compared to 14 for females. Both numbers significantly up from 2018.
Sadly, it doesn’t get much better when we look at the other Closing the Gap failure: incarceration.
Children in rural and remote areas continue to be grossly over represented in this area.
ibnews.com.au has requested an interview with the new minister.
Adults are also being imprisoned at increasing rates and the recent report stated this will not improve, in fact the 2031 target to do that, it has said, will not be met.
The rate of children in out-of-home care has also worsened significantly, despite comments from a number of States and Territories to the opposite.
The rate has increased from 54.2 per 1000 children to 57.2 last year.
There are even credible reports that some Indigenous women now fear they will have their children taken away if they report a domestic violence incident.
One key way out of poverty, and the side effects of that, is education and then employment.
But youth engagement in employment in regional areas is the worst it has been in eight years.
Yet, it has improved in cities and urbanised regions. How is funding allocated and does that need to be addressed?
Ibnews.com.au has requested an interview with the new Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Malarndirri McCarthy.
Ms McCarthy has gone on record to say these findings were “deeply troubling” and that she would be reaching out across all the States and Territories to seek positive answers for positive change.
How many more suicides must our communities have to suffer before something actually happens?
Words are fine, but action is needed – and it is needed now.
