Part 2/11:
The latest Productivity Commission report starkly illustrates the sluggish progress—or lack thereof—in meeting 19 key "Closing the Gap" targets aimed at improving Indigenous Australians' lives. Out of these, only four targets are on track: expanding preschool attendance, increasing employment rates, and two targets related to land rights.
Meanwhile, critical indicators continue to worsen. Adult incarceration rates for Indigenous Australians remain high, child development metrics are stagnating or declining, the number of Indigenous children in and out of home care shows no improvement, and suicide rates within Indigenous communities are alarmingly rising. These stark realities reveal systemic failures and a glaring disconnect between policy efforts and tangible outcomes.