Dear Treasurer,

As you prepare to deliver your first Federal Budget, I ask you to ensure that the Government invests appropriately in closing the 17-year gap in life expectancy between Indigenous and other Australians.

I thank the Government for the priority it has given to Indigenous issues so early in its term, including the apology to the Stolen Generations, the establishment of a working group on Indigenous reform with state and territory governments, and especially the Government’s commitment to closing the gap in life expectancy within a generation. It is also heartening that the Council of Australian Governments has committed to taking coordinated action across the nation to address the Indigenous health crisis.

It is now time to back these commitments up with dollars. With this in mind, I ask you to demonstrate leadership on this issue as you finalise this year’s Federal Budget. Indigenous health must receive funding commensurate with need. Access Economics found a shortfall of $460 million annually in Indigenous primary health care funding – this is the minimum required to provide equal access to health services for Indigenous Australians.

Allocating this funding is not only vital to urgently address the shortfall in primary health care but would also provide an important demonstration of the sincerity of the Government’s commitments.

In addition to this funding, closing the life expectancy gap will require governments to work with Indigenous communities to set long-term health goals and establish benchmarks so that progress can be monitored and evaluated. Governments will also need to address the social determinants of good health, such as adequate housing, access to education and real employment opportunities.

Countries such as the United States and Canada have shown that narrowing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous life expectancies is possible. The many success stories in Aboriginal controlled health services are further proof of what can be achieved with increased funding and community control.

In closing, I know that I am one of a growing number of Australians who believe it is unacceptable that, in a wealthy country such as ours, the health of our Indigenous population remains comparable to that of poor people in the developing world. This is an issue of utmost importance to me and, I believe, to the nation.

The Government has signaled its willingness to take action on this issue and I look forward to seeing that commitment reflected in the budget.

Yours sincerely,