Latest news with #SelwynButton
SBS Australia
31-07-2025
- Politics
- SBS Australia
Closing the gap targets failing to improve childhood development, reduce suicide rates
New data shows "significant deserts" and service gaps are contributing to worsening rates of incarceration and childhood development for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Just four of the 19 Closing the Gap targets are on track to be met, according to the latest data from the Productivity Commission. But key targets, including adult imprisonment rates, children in out-of-home care, suicide and childhood development, are continuing to worsen. The report comes as the number of First Nations people who have died in police or prison custody exceeds 600 deaths since a landmark royal commission handed down recommendations in 1991. Productivity commissioner Selwyn Button said the review shows the outcomes of the agreement are falling well short of what governments have committed to. The review found Indigenous community-controlled organisations are key to progress, and governments must listen to First Nations people and share decision-making power to create positive change. "What the outcomes in the agreement reflect most of all is the limited progress of governments in collectively acting on the priority reforms: sharing decision making and data with communities; strengthening the Aboriginal Community Controlled sector and changing the way governments operate," he said. Catherine Liddle, the CEO of peak Aboriginal advocacy body SNAICC, told Radio National the four improving targets are ones "the government truly committed to". These targets are preschool program enrolments, employment, and land and sea native title and legal rights. She said the government needs to "lean in and try harder" to address "significant deserts and gaps" in social services. In particular, early childhood support needs to see improvement, she said, as preschool enrolments have a limited effect if children aren't prepared for school. Only 33.9 per cent of children starting school were developmentally on track, a decrease from previous years. The report also found that more than one-third of kids in youth detention last year first entered the system when they were 10–13 years old. — With additional reporting by the Australian Associated Press Readers seeking crisis support can ring Lifeline on 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 and Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 (for young people aged up to 25). More information and support with mental health is available at and on 1300 22 4636.
News.com.au
30-07-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Australia on track with only four of 19 Closing The Gap targets
The country is severely behind in bringing outcomes for Indigenous Australians in line with their non-Indigenous counterparts, with only four of 19 Closing The Gap targets on track, a new report shows. The Productivity Commission, which monitors progress on the targets, revealed on Thursday that Australia was on track in boosting preschool enrolments, employment and two land rights goals. But the rest were either improving too slowly or worsening. Among those getting worse was adult imprisonment, with 2304 out of every 100,000 adults behind bars Indigenous. Other areas worsening were children in out-of-home care (50 out of every 1000 children), suicide rates (31 out of every 100,000 people) and children's educational development, with only 33.9 per cent on track. Productivity Commission chief Selwyn Button said in a statement the report 'shows that outcomes can't easily be reduced to a number'. 'The outcomes are all connected, each reflecting aspects of a broader system and the experiences of the people who have shared their stories,' Mr Button said 'What the outcomes in the agreement reflect most of all is the limited progress of governments in collectively acting on the priority reforms: sharing decision making and data with communities; strengthening the Aboriginal community controlled sector and changing the way governments operate.' He went on to say a recent 'independent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led review of the agreement and the PC's 2024 review both show that the transformational change that governments committed to is falling well short of what has been promised'. Asked about the report's findings on breakfast news, Treasurer Jim Chalmers echoed Mr Button, saying governments have not done enough. 'We need to do much better,' Mr Chalmers told the ABC. 'I think every member of the government, I think many Australians, would acknowledge that we need to do better and the reason why these reports are so important is because they make sure that we keep governments and the community more broadly up to the mark.' He praised Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy for 'working in her characteristically diligent way with all of the stakeholders, all of the communities to try to turn these numbers around'.
SBS Australia
30-07-2025
- Politics
- SBS Australia
Australia falls further behind on Closing the Gap targets
TRANSCRIPT Australia falls further behind on Closing the Gap targets Minimal tsunami impact following major Russian quake Kimberley Le Pienaar wins stage five of the Tour de France Femmes A new report reveals Australia is on track to meet only four of 19 national targets to close the gap between outcomes for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The latest Productivity Commission report presents another year of data with 16 additional supporting indicators reported for the first time. There are four targets on track to be met by 2031, including preschool program enrolments and employment, and six targets are improving, but will still fall short. These include life expectancy, healthy birth-weights, year 12 or equivalent qualifications and appropriately-sized housing. The target of youth justice has shown no change from the baseline and four targets - including adult imprisonment, suicide and children in out-of-home care - are actively worsening. Productivity Commissioner Selwyn Button says over-incarceration remains a key concern, especially for those held without a sentence. 'We know that a large majority of adults in prison are in prison unsentenced, and that's a similar story for average Trust Islander children who are in youth detention, they're in their unsentenced.' International and local criminals are suspected of working together to firebomb a synagogue, as police arrest one of three men they allege carried out the arson attack. A 21-year-old Werribee man, who is known to police, was arrested in Melbourne's west as multiple search warrants were carried out around the city on Wednesday. Two buildings of the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne's southeast were destroyed in December 2024, with the fire attack forcing two congregants inside to flee for their lives. The man is yet to be charged but Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner, Krissy Barrett, says no offence is off the table and she expects more people to be arrested in the future. She says police believe there was involvement by foreign actors in planning the attack. "Our investigation is not limited to Australia. It involves exploring criminals offshore and we suspect these criminals worked with criminal associates in Victoria to carry out the arson attack." A powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula that triggered tsunami warnings as far as French Polynesia and Chile, has seemingly passed without causing major devastation. The shallow quake damaged buildings and injured several people, and was followed by an eruption from the region's most active volcano, Klyuchevskoy. Evacuation orders were issued along Japan's eastern coast, still haunted by the 2011 tsunami, and in parts of Hawaii. By evening, most warnings in Japan, Hawaii and Russia had been downgraded, as well as in the United States, as Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem explains. "We're in really good shape right now. We have downgraded the tsunami threat that was established for Hawaii and some of the regions impacting Alaska as well, but we still have a warning out and an alert for the West Coast. But we anticipate it'll be minimal impact." However, authorities in French Polynesia are urging residents of the remote Marquesas Islands to move to higher ground, warning of waves up to 2.5 metres high. Israeli strikes and gunfire in Gaza have killed at least 46 Palestinians, most of them reportedly among crowds searching for food, according to local hospitals. More than 30 people were killed reportedly while seeking aid, with dozens more wounded. The Israeli military has not commented on the latest attacks, but maintains it targets only militants and blames Hamas for civilian casualties, citing its operations in densely-populated areas. The deaths come as the United Kingdom threatens to recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel agrees to conditions, after France said it would do so without imposing any conditions. British Foreign secretary David Lammy had this to say. "The decision that we have taken today puts us on a pathway towards recognition. And over the next eight weeks, what we are attempting to do is affect the situation on the ground. We have seen the most horrific scenes. The global community is deeply offended by children being shot and killed as they reach out for aid. The time has come for a ceasefire." Israel's foreign ministry has rejected the British statement. To sport and in cycling, Kimberley Le Pienaar has won the fifth stage of the Tour de France Femmes, making the Mauritian rider the first African to claim a stage in the Tour's history. The 29 year-old reclaimed the yellow jersey after the gruelling 165.8 kilometre day, the longest of the event so far. Multiple riders crashed, some leaving the race altogether. Le Pienaar shared her delight at reclaiming the yellow leader's jersey - and the traditional stuffed toy lion gifted to every stage winner. "Amazing. We had the plan to try and take it back today. The team rode amazingly. The plan was just to take the sprints and if it finishes in a small group try to take the victory, stage victory, and it worked out really well. I don't think it would have been possible without the team work, without Sarah (Gigante) at the end. It really was amazing, and now we have a second Simba (lion toy awarded to stage winners), so super happy." Demi Vollering is sitting in third place overall, while Pauline Ferrand Prevot is in second, sitting 18 seconds behind Le Court in the general classification.
ABC News
30-07-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Closing the Gap data shows youth detention targets backsliding in key states and territories
The Productivity Commission says "tough-on-crime" policies are directly undermining Closing the Gap targets, as the latest annual data shows rates of adult incarceration continue to worsen and youth detention rates soar in parts of the country. The data also shows the Northern Territory is the worst-performing jurisdiction in the country, with the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people going backwards on eight targets, including youth detention and adult incarceration. Nationally, only four out of the 19 targets are on track to be met by the deadline of 2031. Since winning government in 2024, the Northern Territory has lowered the age of criminal responsibility from 12 to 10 and introduced tougher bail laws and police search powers. Productivity Commissioner and Gungarri man Selwyn Button said its "tough-on-crime" approach has shown up in the annual Closing the Gap data. "There is an absolute direct correlation between the two," he told the ABC's Indigenous Affairs Team. "We certainly can see the direct correlation between the legislative change in the Northern Territory to the direct outcomes in terms of increasing numbers of incarceration rates." Advocates and researchers are calling on governments to avoid punitive approaches and invest in holistic solutions that address root causes like poverty, health and housing. "You can't actually arrest your way out of an issue," said Mr Button. "What we're asking governments to think about is what early intervention programs you can design … so that our young people aren't ending up in the criminal justice system to just determine a criminalised response to dealing with a social issue." Deep in the red centre of Australia, one community organisation is helping children as young as 10 years old connect with their culture and get help. BushMob is an Aboriginal community-controlled alcohol and drug rehabilitation program based in Mpartnwe/Alice Springs, and has been a safe place for many young people for more than two decades. It provides cultural and therapeutic programs, including on-country bush camps, horse therapy, counselling, and support linking in with services. "The young people talk about connection to culture, feeling their place within it, feeling the connection to something other than the systems that they're seeing day to day," said BushMob CEO, Jock MacGregor. For over 16 years, Mr MacGregor has seen many young children come through the doors, some compelled by court orders and others who admit themselves by choice. "When I talk to young people about what's going on with life … They feel like there's no choice, they feel like there's no support," Mr MacGregor said. "They feel very isolated and if they want to get help, [they don't] know where to go." The Australian Human Rights Commission has long called for greater investment in early intervention and diversion programs such as BushMob's. Its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Katie Kiss said the Northern Territory's current approach "is ignoring all the expert advice that they're receiving". "[Going backwards on] each of those targets that are under the Closing the Gap agreement represents a human rights violation," she said. This week, the Finocchiaro government has introduced another round of sweeping changes to its Youth Justice Act. They include: In a statement, the NT government said the new laws were a response to "repeated community concerns" and cases where young people reoffended while on bail. "Territorians have a right to safe streets and communities, victims have a right to a responsible justice system, and serious offenders have the right to remain silent," Corrections Minister Gerard Maley said. The new laws came in the same week the ABC reported nearly 400 Indigenous children were held in NT police watch houses over a six-month period, during which time there were nearly 20 incidents of self-harm involving children. The ABC has sought comment from the NT government on the latest Closing the Gap data. The Productivity Commission report shows the four targets on track to be met by 2031 include pre-school program enrolments, employment, and land and sea rights. As reported in March, the rate of babies born at a healthy weight was no longer on track to be met. In a statement, Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy said while some progress had been made, more work needed to be done. "I am pleased that nationally we are seeing improvements in 10 of the 15 targets with data," she said. "However, it is very concerning that we are still seeing outcomes worsening for incarceration rates, children in out-of-home care and suicide. "It's important that state and territory governments all back in their commitments under the National Agreement with actions that will help improve outcomes for First Nations people." Along with the NT, Queensland and the ACT are also going backwards on their commitment to reduce the rate of young people in jail by 30 per cent by 2031. While the 2023/24 rate of youth incarceration has increased nationally from the previous four years, the overall trend shows no change from the baseline year of 2018/19. The report also found more than one-third of kids in youth detention last year first entered the system when they were 10–13 years old. The Commission's latest report comes as the number of First Nations people who have died in police or prison custody exceeds 600 deaths since a landmark royal commission handed down recommendations in 1991.
The Advertiser
24-06-2025
- Health
- The Advertiser
Nation's 'failing' mental health system needs overhaul
Australia's failing mental health and suicide prevention system needs reforms to fix problems including affordability and access, the government's independent advisory body says. The interim Productivity Commission report, released on Wednesday, found the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement was "not fit for purpose" and had made little progress since taking effect in 2022. A particular area of failure was the system's inability to deliver on a pledge to develop nationwide arrangements to provide psychosocial supports outside the National Disability Insurance Scheme, it said. It comprised "a raft of outputs and initiatives that aren't connected to each other or to an overarching strategy", a productivity commissioner says. "In its current form, it cannot deliver the systemic, co-ordinated change it promises," Selwyn Button said in a statement. "Consumers, carers and service providers we spoke with told us of ongoing challenges accessing and affording care and of unco-ordinated services that do not respond to need." Treasurer Jim Chalmers commissioned the review in January, looking into the agreement signed between the federal government and states and territories, due to expire in 2026. The Albanese government, which has spent more than $2.4 billion on the area since taking office in May 2022, says the review is part of keeping services effective and affordable. National Mental Health Consumer Alliance CEO Priscilla Brice said the agreement had failed to meet expectations as it was not developed "hand in hand with people with lived experience of mental health challenges". "We were not included in the development or negotiations for the agreement, nor the ongoing governance or measurement of the agreement," Ms Brice told AAP. "People with lived expertise need to be involved in the next agreement at both the national level and the state and territory level. "This would ensure that the people who know the systems best - the people who use mental health services - are at the heart of decision-making." She urged extra funding for mental health services and advocacy bodies as well as stricter accountability to bolster the system. Some 22 per cent of Australians have experienced a mental illness in the past 12 months, while 43 per cent will have a mental illness during their lifetime, Australian Bureau of Statistics research shows. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 Australia's failing mental health and suicide prevention system needs reforms to fix problems including affordability and access, the government's independent advisory body says. The interim Productivity Commission report, released on Wednesday, found the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement was "not fit for purpose" and had made little progress since taking effect in 2022. A particular area of failure was the system's inability to deliver on a pledge to develop nationwide arrangements to provide psychosocial supports outside the National Disability Insurance Scheme, it said. It comprised "a raft of outputs and initiatives that aren't connected to each other or to an overarching strategy", a productivity commissioner says. "In its current form, it cannot deliver the systemic, co-ordinated change it promises," Selwyn Button said in a statement. "Consumers, carers and service providers we spoke with told us of ongoing challenges accessing and affording care and of unco-ordinated services that do not respond to need." Treasurer Jim Chalmers commissioned the review in January, looking into the agreement signed between the federal government and states and territories, due to expire in 2026. The Albanese government, which has spent more than $2.4 billion on the area since taking office in May 2022, says the review is part of keeping services effective and affordable. National Mental Health Consumer Alliance CEO Priscilla Brice said the agreement had failed to meet expectations as it was not developed "hand in hand with people with lived experience of mental health challenges". "We were not included in the development or negotiations for the agreement, nor the ongoing governance or measurement of the agreement," Ms Brice told AAP. "People with lived expertise need to be involved in the next agreement at both the national level and the state and territory level. "This would ensure that the people who know the systems best - the people who use mental health services - are at the heart of decision-making." She urged extra funding for mental health services and advocacy bodies as well as stricter accountability to bolster the system. Some 22 per cent of Australians have experienced a mental illness in the past 12 months, while 43 per cent will have a mental illness during their lifetime, Australian Bureau of Statistics research shows. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 Australia's failing mental health and suicide prevention system needs reforms to fix problems including affordability and access, the government's independent advisory body says. The interim Productivity Commission report, released on Wednesday, found the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement was "not fit for purpose" and had made little progress since taking effect in 2022. A particular area of failure was the system's inability to deliver on a pledge to develop nationwide arrangements to provide psychosocial supports outside the National Disability Insurance Scheme, it said. It comprised "a raft of outputs and initiatives that aren't connected to each other or to an overarching strategy", a productivity commissioner says. "In its current form, it cannot deliver the systemic, co-ordinated change it promises," Selwyn Button said in a statement. "Consumers, carers and service providers we spoke with told us of ongoing challenges accessing and affording care and of unco-ordinated services that do not respond to need." Treasurer Jim Chalmers commissioned the review in January, looking into the agreement signed between the federal government and states and territories, due to expire in 2026. The Albanese government, which has spent more than $2.4 billion on the area since taking office in May 2022, says the review is part of keeping services effective and affordable. National Mental Health Consumer Alliance CEO Priscilla Brice said the agreement had failed to meet expectations as it was not developed "hand in hand with people with lived experience of mental health challenges". "We were not included in the development or negotiations for the agreement, nor the ongoing governance or measurement of the agreement," Ms Brice told AAP. "People with lived expertise need to be involved in the next agreement at both the national level and the state and territory level. "This would ensure that the people who know the systems best - the people who use mental health services - are at the heart of decision-making." She urged extra funding for mental health services and advocacy bodies as well as stricter accountability to bolster the system. Some 22 per cent of Australians have experienced a mental illness in the past 12 months, while 43 per cent will have a mental illness during their lifetime, Australian Bureau of Statistics research shows. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 Australia's failing mental health and suicide prevention system needs reforms to fix problems including affordability and access, the government's independent advisory body says. The interim Productivity Commission report, released on Wednesday, found the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement was "not fit for purpose" and had made little progress since taking effect in 2022. A particular area of failure was the system's inability to deliver on a pledge to develop nationwide arrangements to provide psychosocial supports outside the National Disability Insurance Scheme, it said. It comprised "a raft of outputs and initiatives that aren't connected to each other or to an overarching strategy", a productivity commissioner says. "In its current form, it cannot deliver the systemic, co-ordinated change it promises," Selwyn Button said in a statement. "Consumers, carers and service providers we spoke with told us of ongoing challenges accessing and affording care and of unco-ordinated services that do not respond to need." Treasurer Jim Chalmers commissioned the review in January, looking into the agreement signed between the federal government and states and territories, due to expire in 2026. The Albanese government, which has spent more than $2.4 billion on the area since taking office in May 2022, says the review is part of keeping services effective and affordable. National Mental Health Consumer Alliance CEO Priscilla Brice said the agreement had failed to meet expectations as it was not developed "hand in hand with people with lived experience of mental health challenges". "We were not included in the development or negotiations for the agreement, nor the ongoing governance or measurement of the agreement," Ms Brice told AAP. "People with lived expertise need to be involved in the next agreement at both the national level and the state and territory level. "This would ensure that the people who know the systems best - the people who use mental health services - are at the heart of decision-making." She urged extra funding for mental health services and advocacy bodies as well as stricter accountability to bolster the system. Some 22 per cent of Australians have experienced a mental illness in the past 12 months, while 43 per cent will have a mental illness during their lifetime, Australian Bureau of Statistics research shows. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636
