Misstatement: “Aboriginal people receive special treatments”
Some points:
Most of us believe in a fair go for all and treating others like we want to be treated.
Unfortunately, too many Governments – past and present – have denied Aboriginal people their basic rights and a fair go – dispossession from land, the Stolen Generations and a gap in socio-economic indicators, such as life expectancy, educational attainment and employment. In 2016 the Productivity Commission revealed that Indigenous Australians are becoming more disadvantaged with increasing accounts of intergenerational trauma, high imprisonment rates, alarming suicide rates and mental health issues.
If we want to make sure Aboriginal people have a fair go and are treated like we want to be treated, it’s important to make sure they are respected and have access to important services and support. Aboriginal people are subject to the same social security laws and entitled to no more (and no less) government support than any other Australian.
There are targeted and tailored solutions to support Aboriginal people overcome the unique challenges they face, just as there are tailored and targeted programs supporting families with kids in childcare, people with disability or people from rural and regional communities of Australia.
For more information:
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, “The health and welfare of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”