POLICY

First Nations people unfairly shoulder a disproportionate burden of entrenched disadvantage—they are the most incarcerated people on earth, endure persistently high unemployment and the gap is not closing on health and education.

Indigenous organisations are needed to tackle these complex issues confronting our people. Many Indigenous voices have long argued for the need for government to shift to an empowerment and development approach informed by an Indigenous-led, culturally informed policy. This is certainly true in Cape York, where there has been an ongoing evolution of a radical reform agenda over decades, driven by Cape York Partnership with Cape York people, whose lives and futures are at stake.

Our vision and expectation for a greater more inclusive nation, and our determination to unravel wicked problems vexing Indigenous Australians, has illuminated cause, created debate, and reshaped national conversations about First Nations people. Indigenous Australians are now better positioned to be included, even empowered, to determine their own future.