Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator McCarthy. You, in your capacity as the Minister for Indigenous Australians, and the Prime Minister have both made clear in your statements that closing the gap remains a priority for the Albanese Labor government. How is the government working in partnership with First Nations communities, peak bodies and state and territory governments to make real progress on closing the gap and expand opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people?

Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for her question and for her support on our work on closing the gap. The Albanese Labor government is working in partnership with First Nations communities, the Coalition of Peaks and state and territory governments to try to improve the outcomes for First Nations Australians. Our Closing the Gap plan demonstrates the progress we have made and the work still ahead. We promised at the last election to create 3,000 jobs in remote communities, and I am delighted that we're doubling that number to an incredible 6,000 jobs, as the Prime Minister announced. It's an investment in real jobs, with proper wages, superannuation and career pathways. And we're tackling the cost of living. Our Low-Cost Essentials Subsidy Scheme is already saving families at the checkout in 113 remote stores around the country. It's slashing the cost of 30 essential items so that families can put more food on the table. We're now expanding that program to all 225 remote stores right around the country.

In health, we're upgrading critical Aboriginal community controlled health services, and we're making sure our public hospitals better support First Nations people through a joint $450 million boost through the National Health Reform Agreement. We're delivering the first standalone national plan to end violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children, and we're backing it in with an immediate $218 million injection of funds into frontline services. We are building stronger futures for First Nations Australians.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Stewart, first supplementary?

Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Improving mental health and suicide prevention remain critical priorities in closing the gap. Can the minister outline how the Albanese Labor government's investment in culturally safe, community led services, like 13YARN, is supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to access crisis support?

Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Supporting the social and emotional wellbeing of First Nations people is essential to closing the gap, and that's why the Albanese Labor government is strengthening 13YARN. That's the national crisis support line designed, led and delivered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 13YARN provides confidential, culturally safe crisis support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It ensures people can speak to someone who understands their situation, their cultural connections, their community and their lived experience. The $13.9 million investment we've announced through Closing the Gap will extend operating hours and expand services so people can access support when they need it the most.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Stewart, second supplementary?

Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Recent flooding across Central Australia and the Barkly has highlighted the challenges remote communities face in accessing essential services and reliable food supplies. How are the Albanese Labor government's Closing the Gap investments strengthening remote stores and improving food security during extreme weather and supply disruptions?

Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We've certainly seen tremendous amounts of rain right across Central Australia, and, even still, right up through to the north. This is all too common during the wet season in the Top End, but our food resilience package is helping stores limit the impact in terms of some of our communities being cut off from access. It is working. It's why the Albanese Labor government is expanding that package to 75 additional remote stores. We're upgrading storage and refrigeration so stores can keep essentials stocked and foods fresh when roads are cut off, which has been happening quite a lot recently. All we heard yesterday from those opposite was just negativity. I do encourage those opposite to really see what we are trying to do here. It's one of the first times that I haven't seen bipartisan support here in the Senate, and I really urge senators to try and do that. (Time expired)