Aspirational goals for Indigenous Australians

Delegates are expected to pay their return travel costs to Canberra from all parts of the country and cover all accommodation and meals. I note that morning tea and lunch (boxed lunch) will be provided on both days and a bonus on the second day of a boxed breakfast (tea/coffee and a muffin) will be on.

On page 5 of the official handout is a section under the bold heading “Requests for Financial Hardship Allowance” asking those who need financial support to tell them why they should be provided with assistance in 500 words or less. To support their claim delegates are encouraged to attach letters or documentation (for example, from their GP or local MP) to further assist in the assessment process.

I hope that those who have financial concerns still wishing to attend are not put off by the predicament they are placed in of having to argue their case of financial hardship.

One would have thought that a government who boast of projected savings of $20 billion this year could well afford to have a pool of money that needy applicants could access through ways other than bearing their personal circumstances to public servants in Canberra.

I trust that those seeking assistance to attend the summit will gain favourable responses.

The letter of invitation co-signed by Glyn Davis, 2020 Summit Co-Chair said the ideas discussed at the Summit will “drive the national strategies and solutions to tomorrow”.

If the PM and Glyn Davis are true to their words this summit could well present that critical podium Indigenous people have been seeking for so long to have their views recorded and used as a blue print for future policy directions to address the parlous state of Indigenous affairs in this affluent country.

All delegates have been asked to submit issues of concern that they wish to raise in their session prior to the summit.

For what it’s worth I will submit the following in no particular order:

Health

Indigenous health inequality is a national shame with life expectation 17-years lower than other Australians, infant mortality three times higher; and death rates for Indigenous Australians twice as high across all age groups.

Recommendation: we need to set targets and provide significant financial incentives for Indigenous people to become doctors and nurses and get our people to think and act in a healthy manner. Prevention is better than cure.

Incarceration

Indigenous Australians, including youth, are the fastest growing prison population in all states and territories. Indigenous males comprise 46 per cent of the total national male juvenile detention population and Indigenous females comprise 57 per cent of the total national female juvenile detention population. We all know these figures are very conservative.