Closing the Gap and the Sustainable Development Goals: listening to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Despite efforts to reduce the disadvantage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, some indicators of health, education and employment are flatlining or going backwards. The 2018 end date for the initial targets of the Closing the Gap framework has passed, and the possibility of new relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other Australians generated through Prime Minister Rudd’s apology to the stolen generations is fading.¹ The 2019 Closing the Gap Report calls for refreshment of the framework and confirms the Australian Government’s commitment to achieving equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in health and life expectancy.²