The Indigenous World 2023: Australia
As of 30 June 2021, there were 984,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, representing 3.8% of the total Australian population.[1] The most recent available data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicates that, among Indigenous Australians, 38% (337,400) live in major cities and 18% (154,900) live in remote and very remote areas combined. The proportion of the total population who were Indigenous increased with remoteness, from 1.8% in major cities to 32% in remote and very remote areas.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population had a younger age structure than the non-Indigenous population, with both larger proportions of young people and smaller proportions of older people. This reflects higher birth rates and lower life expectancy in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population compared with that of the non-Indigenous population. One-third (33.1%) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were aged under 15 years compared with 17.9% of non-Indigenous people in the same age group. People aged 65 years and over comprised 5.4% of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population compared with 17.2% of the non-Indigenous population. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are vastly over-represented in the Australian criminal justice system, with 2,481 prisoners per 100,000 Indigenous people –15 times greater than for the non-Indigenous population.
The National Agreement on Closing the Gap (the National Agreement) has 17 national socio-economic targets across areas that have an impact on life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In 2022, four of these targets were on track to be met, five were not on track, and eight had not recorded any additional data since their baseline years.
There are approximately 3,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations registered under the federal Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (CATSI Act), including 186 registered native title land-holding bodies. This does not include a large number of businesses run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, of which there are around 12,000-16,000.
There is currently no reference to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the national Constitution.
This article is part of the 37th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. The photo above is of an Indigenous person in Tanzania. This photo was taken by Geneviève Rose, and is the cover of the Indigenous World 2023 where this article is featured. Find the Indigenous World 2023 in full here.
Referendum on constitutional recognition
The Australian Constitution was drafted at a time when Australia was considered a land that belonged to no-one before European settlement and when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were considered a “dying race” not worthy of citizenship or humanity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were excluded from the discussions about the creation of a new nation to be situated on their ancestral lands and waters. To this day, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are not mentioned in the Constitution.[2]
The Albanese government was elected in May 2022. As part of the government’s commitment to implement the Uluru Statement from the Heart,[3] the government announced that a referendum would be held in Australia during the term of the current Parliament to enshrine an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice in the Australian Constitution. On 30 July 2022, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced draft words for a constitutional amendment on an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. The draft words to be added to the Constitution are:
- There shall be a body, to be called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.
- The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice may make representations to Parliament and the Executive Government on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
- The Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to make laws with respect to the composition, functions, powers and procedures of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.[4]
The Prime Minister also proposed a draft question to be put to the Australian people at a referendum. The draft referendum question is:
“Do you support an alteration to the Constitution that establishes an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice?”
The road ahead to achieving constitutional recognition is expected to be a difficult one. While a Voice to Parliament[5] will be created through legislation, the amendment to the Constitution can only be achieved if the referendum is successful – which will require a majority of Australians in a majority of states to vote yes. This is a difficult condition to meet and, of the 44 referenda held since federation, only eight have passed.[6]
There has been significant pushback from conservative politicians in Australia who are opposed to the idea of the Voice, and who argue that it will not achieve meaningful change for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.[7] Nevertheless, surveys have shown that there is significant support for the Voice and constitutional recognition among Australians, which has increased over time.[8]
Closing the Gap
The National Agreement on Closing the Gap is an Australian government initiative that acknowledges the ongoing strength and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in sustaining the world’s oldest living cultures. It is underpinned by the belief that when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a genuine say in the design and delivery of policies, programmes and services that affect them, better life outcomes are achieved.[9] The Agreement also identifies 17 socio-economic outcomes important to the rights, well-being and quality of life of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Monitoring these socio-economic outcomes will help to determine if the Agreement is working to accelerate improvements in the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.[10]
The second Annual Data Compilation Report to inform reporting on progress under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap was released by the Productivity Commission[11] in July 2022. The Productivity Commission’s 2022 Annual Data Compilation Report identifies that new data is available to assess progress against baseline data for nine targets, six of which have data available to monitor progress up to 2021, one year after commencement of the National Agreement. No new data is available in relation to the remaining targets since the baseline year of measurement for each target.[12]
The socio-economic targets provide limited information on progress at this stage. No new data are available since the baseline year for eight of the targets and, for the targets where there are new data available, the most recent data are for 2021, only one year after the Agreement commenced. For the targets that have new data and assessments of progress, the results are mixed and most need to be used with caution.
- Four are on track (healthy birthweight of babies, the enrolment of children in preschool, youth detention rates and land mass subject to rights and interests).
- Five are not on track (children commencing school developmentally on track, out-of-home care, adult imprisonment, suicide deaths, and sea country subject to rights and interests).[13]
Walking alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is key to implementation and improved outcomes.
Family Matters – Strong communities. Strong Culture. Stronger children.
This initiative is being led by SNAICC – National Voice for our Children and a group of eminent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders from across Australia. This is Australia’s national campaign to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people grow up safe and cared for in family, community and culture. It aims to eliminate the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care within a generation (by 2040).[14]
The Family Matters reports examines what governments are doing to turn the tide on over-representation and improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. This report also highlights Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led solutions and calls on governments to support and invest in the strengths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to lead on child well-being, development and safety responses for children. There were 22,297 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care in 2022, making Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children 10 times more likely to be in out-of-home care than non-Indigenous children, with fewer than half living with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander carers.[15]
Under the National Agreement, governments have committed to make decisions in genuine partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and organisations; to invest in community-controlled services; to transform government agencies and non-Indigenous services into culturally-safe organisations; and to develop data and monitor outcomes in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The National Agreement also committed specifically to reducing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s over-representation in out-of-home care by 45% by the year 2031, a target well-aligned to the Family Matters campaign’s call to eliminate over-representation by 2040.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Members of Parliament
Following the commencement of the 47th Australian Parliament on 26 July 2022, there are now eight senators and three members of the House of Representatives who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. They are:
- Senator Dorinda Cox, Yamatji-Noongar, Western Australia
- Senator Patrick Dodson, Yawuru, Western Australia
- Senator Jacqui Lambie, Palawa, Tasmania
- Senator Kerrynne Liddle, Arrente, South Australia
- Senator the Hon Malarndirri McCarthy, Yanyuwa, Northern Territory
- Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Walpiri, Northern Territory
- Senator Jana Stewart, Muthi Muthi and Wamba-Wamba, Victoria
- Senator Lidia Thorpe, DjabWurrung, Gunnai, and Gunditjmara, Victoria
- The Hon Linda Burney MP, Wiradjuri, Member for Barton
- Dr Gordon Reid, Wiradjuri, Member for Robertson
- Ms Marion Scrymgour, Tiwi, Member for Lingiari[16]
This is the largest number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parliamentarians in the history of Australia. Since the first sitting of the Australian Parliament in 1901, only 17 parliamentarians have identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.[17]
Iain Gately trained as an archaeologist and worked with traditional owners in the Pilbara to protect and record their cultural heritage before transferring to the public sector to work in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander policy. He has been involved in a number of audits and evaluations of significant government programmes that target Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Iain is a strong believer in the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture as an integral part of the Australian story. Iain currently works at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia.
Belinda Kendall is a Worimi, Barkindji, Wailwan and Wiradjuri woman from New South Wales and is a Director of Aboriginal enterprise Curijo Pty Ltd. Belinda’s studies and employment have primarily been in the human and community services and the child, family and adult education sector, with her passion being to improve the lives of and outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and all Australians through leadership and healing.
This article is part of the 37th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. The photo above is of an Indigenous person in Tanzania. This photo was taken by Geneviève Rose, and is the cover of the Indigenous World 2023 where this article is featured. Find the Indigenous World 2023 in full here.
Notes and references
[1] Australian Bureau of Statistics. Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. June 2021, https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-peoples/estimates-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-australians/jun-2021
[2] Australian Human Rights Commission. “About Constitutional Recognition.” 2022, https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/about-constitutional-recognition
[3] The Uluru Statement from the Heart is an invitation to the Australian people from First Nations Australians. It asks Australians to walk together to build a better future by establishing a First Nations Voice to Parliament enshrined in the Constitution, and a Makarrata Commission for the purpose of treaty-making and truth-telling.
[4] National Indigenous Australians Agency. “Referendum on an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.” 2022, https://www.niaa.gov.au/indigenous-affairs/referendum-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-voice
[5] Gately, Iain., and Belinda Kendall. “The Indigenous World 2022: Australia”. International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs, 2022. https://www.iwgia.org/en/australia/4686-iw-2022-australia.html
[6] Lee, Emma. “First Nations people shouldn’t have to wait for a referendum to get a Voice to Parliament.” The Conversation, 10 June 2022, https://theconversation.com/first-nations-people-shouldnt-have-to-wait-for-a-referendum-to-get-a-voice-to-parliament-184316
[7] Appleby, Gabrielle, and Eddie Synot. “What do we know about the Voice to Parliament design, and what do we still need to know?” The Conversation, 6 December 2022, https://theconversation.com/what-do-we-know-about-the-voice-to-parliament-design-and-what-do-we-still-need-to-know-195720
[8] Levy, Ron., and Iain McAllister. “Our research shows public support for a First Nations Voice is not only high, it’s deeply entrenched.” The Conversation, 9 December 2021, https://theconversation.com/our-research-shows-public-support-for-a-first-nations-voice-is-not-only-high-its-deeply-entrenched-172851
[9] Australian Government. “Closing the Gap.” 2022, https://www.closingthegap.gov.au/
[10] Productivity Commission. “Closing the Gap Annual Data Compilation Report July 2022.”
[11] The Productivity Commission is the Australian government's independent research and advisory body on a range of economic, social and environmental issues affecting the welfare of Australians.
[12] Australian Government. “Commonwealth Closing the Gap Annual Report 2022.” 2022, Canberra, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
[13] Productivity Commission, “Closing the Gap Annual Data Compilation Report July 2022.”
[14] SNAICC. “Family Matters Report 2022.”, https://www.familymatters.org.au/the-family-matters-report-2022/
[15] SNAICC. “Family Matters Report 2022 Snapshot”, https://www.familymatters.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/1533_2022-F.M.-Snapshot-2pp_option-1.pdf
[16] Parliamentary Education Office. “How many Aboriginal or Torres Straits Islander MPs or Senators are there and what are their names?”, https://peo.gov.au/understand-our-parliament/your-questions-on-notice/questions/how-many-aboriginal-or-torres-straits-islander-mps-or-senators-are-there-and-what-are-their-names
[17] Parliament of Australia. “Indigenous representation in the Senate.” 12 July 2022, https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Whats_On/Senate_matters/2022/July/Indigenous_Representation_in_the_Senate
Tags: Global governance, Human rights, IWGIA
