Close the Gap Strategy and Government's Role in Bridging the Gap by 2030

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The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ welfare has been neglected for long.
The gap between them and the non-indigenous people is getting wider contrary to the objective
of the Close the Gap campaign and policies. Matt is a good example of the efforts that should be
implemented in order to achieve the Close the Gap vision by 2030 (Close the Gap, 2018).
Matt has been an inpatient and the special treatment is aimed at bridging the socioeconomic and
health gap between his family and the non-indigenous people in Australia. The Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) people should be enabled to access the facilities that are basic for
their survival and uplifting of their conditions to be able engage in economic activities (Haber &
Day, 2014). This paper discusses the Close the Gap Strategy and the government’s role it has to
play in bridging the gap by 2030.
Differences between the ‘Close the Gap’ campaign, and the ‘Closing the Gap’ Australian
governments’ policy framework.
‘Close the Gap’ and ‘Closing the Gap’ are operating as two side of the same coin. The
two strategies have the same mission, closing the gap between the ATSI and the non-indigenous
people of Australia (Davidson, 2018). Close the Gap is operated by the ATSI and Non-
indigenous health groups, professional bodies in charge of health, and the organizations
championing for human rights. The campaign goal of the Close the Gap is to advance the health
and life expectancy of ATSI like that of the Non-indigenous people (Close the Gap, 2018).
The mission is to be achieved within one generation (by end of 2030). The Close the Gap
framework of achieving equality was drafted in 2005 by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Social Justice Commissioner by adopting Social Justice Report 2005 (Russell, 2013).
Currently the Close the Gap campaign has a support of more than two hundred thousand
Australians. The Close the Gap campaign introduced their first National Close the Gap Day in

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the year 2007. The National Close the Gap Day is celebrated in all the States and Territories
from the year 2009 (Close the Gap, 2018). The Close the Gap campaign convinced the Prime
Minister (Rudd) and the leader of opposition to committing their efforts to close the gap between
the ATSI and the Non-indigenous people at Close the Gap Campaign’s National Indigenous
Health Equality Summit in 2008. The signing led to a Close the Gap Statement of Intent (Close
the Gap, 2018).
Closing the Gap is named after Coag’s National Strategy on handling of the Indigenous
Inequality in the year 2008. The Indigenous Reform Agreement stated six areas it targeted to
bridge the differences between the indegenous and Non-indegenous people. The Closing the Gap
established to close the gap of life expectancy within a generation. On average a ATSI lives 10-
17 years less than the Non-indegenous people (Close the Gap, 2018). The Agreement also
determined to provide early childhood education to all the four-year old children years living in
the remote communities in less than five years. The government through the Closing the Gap
program aims to reduce the deaths among children with less than five years in a period of ten
years. The employment gap between the Indegenous and Non-indegenous should be reduced by
half in a period of ten years.
The meaning of ‘funding myth’ in the AHRC Close the Gap Report 2018
The funding is the main drive to achieve the set objectives. The government has however
been reluctant in allocating enough funds to the show their commitment to bring equality in
health and life expectancy (Close the Gap, 2018). The myth that Dedicated Health
Expenditure is wasting of the taxpayers’ resources. If the Australian Government is committed to
bridge the gap, then their involvement should be proportionate to the needs of the ATSI. The
higher funding on the ATSI should be sustained to counter the 2.3 times that the disease is