CTG Campaign update – Apology anniversary/ Closing the Gap reporting
Our Campaign Co-Chairs met recently with NIAA and were offered the following details re Closing the Gap reporting;
Changes to Australian Government Closing the Gap Reporting
- In July 2020, the Australian Government, state and territory governments, the Australian Local Government Association, and the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community-Controlled Peak Organisations entered into the new National Agreement on Closing the Gap. The National Agreement establishes new, more transparent and independent reporting and monitoring arrangements designed to hold all parties accountable for change.
- Under the new Agreement, the Productivity Commission will deliver a rolling online data dashboard, an annual data compilation report and three-yearly reviews outlining progress toward targets and Priority Reforms. The National Agreement also requires all parties to develop implementation plans within 12 months of the Agreement being signed, by July 2021, and to report publicly on their actions annually.
- The Commonwealth’s annual reporting on Closing the Gap will change to align with these new accountability, reporting and monitoring arrangements.
- February remains an important time to acknowledge the importance of Indigenous Affairs. We expect that, this year, the Prime Minister and the Minister for Indigenous Australians may use the February statement to outline the stronger accountability and reporting arrangements under the new National Agreement. They will also acknowledge the anniversary of the National Apology to members of the Stolen Generations, which will continue to be an annual observance.
- There will not be a separate detailed report on the Closing the Gap data tabled in the Parliament in February. The new reporting arrangements mean the Productivity Commission will be reporting on progress going forward through a rolling data dashboard, an annual data compilation report and a three yearly review of progress. Since baseline data for targets was published with the new National Agreement in July 2020, there has been limited new data released to report on. We expect the Productivity Commission to release its data compilation report in mid-year, to coincide with the release of parties’ implementation plans.
- We expect the Prime Minister will deliver an address in mid-2021 to coincide with the release of the Australian Government’s Implementation Plan. Going forward, we expect the Prime Minister may make an annual address in mid-year focussed on progress against the National Agreement and actions in the Australian Government’s Implementation Plan. It is likely this will coincide with the release of the Productivity Commission’s annual data compilation report.
- All states and territories, the Australian Local Government Association and the Coalition of Peaks are also expected to deliver their implementation plans in mid-2021. The National Agreement also requires each jurisdiction to report publicly annually on their progress on the Agreement and their Implementation Plans.
- These new arrangements cement the strong commitment of all parties to the National Agreement to shared accountability for achieving the targets and Priority Reforms.
Download and read the transcripts from the 13th Anniversary of the National Apology:
