STEPHEN JONES MP

SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR

HEALTH
MEMBER FOR THROSBY
WARREN SNOWDON MP
SHADOW PARLIAMENTARY
SECRETARY FOR EXTERNAL
TERRITORIES
SHADOW PARLIAMENTARY
SECRETARY FOR NORTHERN
AUSTRALIA
SHADOW PARLIAMENTARY
SECRETARY FOR INDIGENOUS
AFFAIRS
MEMBER FOR LINGIARI
SENATOR DEBORAH ONEILL
CHAIR OF THE SENATE SELECT
COMMITTEE ON HEALTH
SENATOR FOR NEW SOUTH WALES
MEDIA RELEASE
DISGRACEFUL COALITION BOYCOTT OF

INDIGENOUS HEALTH INQUIRY

In the week where it was revealed Australia failed to
meet five out of the seven Closing The Gap targets, not
a single Coalition Senator has bothered to turn up to
todays Senate Select Committee hearing dedicated to
Indigenous health.
Nine of the countrys foremost expert organisations
including the Australian College of Rural and Remote
Medicine, the Royal Australian College of General
Practitioners, the National Aboriginal Community
Controlled Health Organisation and the Australian
Indigenous Doctors Association have come to Canberra
to shed light on what we must do to close the gap and
improve the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Australians.
In Parliament on Wednesday, the Prime Minister
expressed sincere regret at the failure to meet the
bipartisan targets and committed to do better. The
report revealed some improvements in education and
health outcomes, but confirmed the targets for closing
the life expectancy gap had either not been met or
were not on track.
But despite the Prime Minister declaring this as
profoundly disappointing, not a single Coalition
Senator bothered to attend todays inquiry devoted to
Indigenous health.
This comes after half a billion dollars worth of cuts to
Closing the Gap programs in the Liberal Governments
first Budget including $165 million ripped from
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health programs.
Had Coalition Senators bothered to attend today they
would have heard evidence that the cuts to Indigenous

health programs are seeing staff being sacked and

services closed.
Had Coalition senators bothered to attend today they
would also have heard how Indigenous health outcomes
will deteriorate as a result of these cuts.
Closing The Gap should be regarded as a national
priority, but todays Coalition boycott shows a
disturbing lack of interest in these critical issues.
FRIDAY, 13 FEBRUARY 2015