Areas of Disadvantage for Indigenous

Australians
Extended: Explain the areas of disadvantage experienced by Indigenous Australians

Over the decades, the exhibition of disparity between Indigenous Australians and non-indigenous
Australians continues to manifest over the years. Despite significant strides been taken towards
improvement and equality, differences within the health, education, employment and racial vilification
sectors are apparent.

The levels of health and healthcare accessible to Indigenous and non-indigenous individuals
contrast largely, as identified via the distinctions in life expectancy and general health statistics
within the differing groups. Life expectancy refers to the average period that an individual from a
specific cohort is expected to live to. Aboriginal individuals tend to possess lower levels of life
expectancy than non-aboriginal peoples due to their inferior health status’, evident within the 2013
Australian Human Rights Commission statistic “indigenous males live approximately 69.3 years,
compared to all Australian men at 79.9 years.” This, however, further dwells upon female
expectancies “indigenous females live approximately 73.9 years compared to all Australian women
at 83.4 years,” displaying the health status of ATSI peoples being poor in comparison to the rest of
the Australian population. These statistics may be resultant of the relative socioeconomic
disadvantage experiences by the ATSI people, placing them at higher risks of exposure to
behavioural and environmental health issues. Additionally, another determinate may be that higher
proportions of Indigenous households “live in conditions that do not support good health,” not
enjoying equal access to primary health care infrastructure encompassing safe drinking water or
effective sewage system.

In addition, there remains a large inequality gap between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous peoples
within Australia, in accordance to employment levels. Evident within the Australian Council of
Trade Unions (ACTU) indigenous employment factsheet of 2001, where “the employment rate for
Indigenous Australians is 40% compared to 57% for the total population.” In addition, “the median
income for Indigenous Australians was $231 per week, compared to $387 for Non-Indigenous
people,” suggests how employers were willing to opt for ‘whites’ within their industry, as opposed
to the best individual or the occupation. This ‘gap’ is further heightened as it continues to manifest
over the years, evident within Australian Institute of Health and Wellbeing report of 2017, stating
“Aboriginal unemployment rates are 3 times the non-Aboriginal rates.” Additionally, “a high
number of Aboriginal people weren’t participating in the labour force at 46%, 27.7% at full-time
and 18.3% working part-time, double the figure for non-Aboriginal peoples at 23.6%”. The
foundational causes of these lower employment rates are inadequate ranks or inferior levels of
education, training or skill, poorer health, limited market opportunities, discrimination and less
chances of job retention.

Furthermore, educational attainment for Indigenous Australians has been a major focus towards
‘closing the gap’ between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous population, however, differences
Areas of Disadvantage for Indigenous
Australians
remain. This is elucidated within the statistic “Almost half at 47% of ATSI persons aged 20-24
years reported that they completed Year 12 in the 2016 Census, increasing by 15% from 2006-
2016.” This is definitely an improvement within ‘closing the gap’, however, as stated, differences
are still prevalent as “86% of non-Indigenous Australians finished year 12”, the equivalent year.
Additionally, only “60% Indigenous students completed year 12, compared to 86% of non-
indigenous”. These variations within the statistics between Indigenous and non-indigenous
educational attainment could further be associated with health, employment, house or crime and
justice levels of both groups.

Racial vilification refers to conduct that ‘incites hatred, serious contempt, revulsion or severe
ridicule’ against a community or race. Racial vilification remains a continuous issue for all
Indigenous Australians as despite any legal enforceability, they can only be overcome via reversing
societal norms or opinionated individual hatred towards this group. Evident as the establishment of
the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth) and Racial Hatred Act 1995 (Cth) was to allow citizens
to report any offensive, abusive or radically motivated behaviour, however, failed to prevent all
individuals from attacking ‘blacks’. This can be elucidated via the McMahon v Bowman (2000)
case where Mr Bowman verbally abused his Aboriginal neighbour for retrieving his child’s ball
from Mr Bowman’s front yard. Although, Mr Bowman was provided with sanctions and compelled
compensate, just the mere hatred towards, and acts of offence, insult, humiliation or intimidation
against Mr McMahon, convey how racial vilification is a severe disadvantage endured by
Indigenous Australians.

To conclude, there are innumerable aspects of the health, education, employment and racial
vilification factors, where significant improvements are continuing and emerging. Significant gaps,
however, remain prevalent between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians.

Questions
 Discuss the reasons for the overall disadvantage differences as outlined by Commissioner Elliot
Johnston QC.

 Health: With reference to the statistics outlined previously, outline the differences in life expectancy
between Indigenous Australians and non-Indigenous males and females.
 Describe the differences in general health between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
 Racial Vilification: See the Australasian Legal Information Institute website to view the racial
vilification cases on record; it can be accessed via the following
link: http://cambridge.edu.au/redirect/?id=6575 (Links to an external site.).
 Choose three cases. Describe the events of each case and the judge’s decision.
 Evaluate the effectiveness of the law in dealing with racial vilification.
 Closing the Gap
 Suggest why targets aimed at closing the gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people and non-Indigenous Australians have shown little progress.
Areas of Disadvantage for Indigenous
Australians
 Videos 12.1 and 12.2 review
 Watch the presentations by Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten, and answer the following questions:
 Identify one Closing the Gap target that is on track, and one that is not on track.
Education and Politics
 Malcolm Turnbull has said that Closing the Gap in education an achievable goal. Which
Closing the Gap targets can be used to show this?
Equal Education
 Why is Malcolm Turnbull optimistic that the gap in employment will improve in the coming
years?
 Explain why an increasing number of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders going to
jail decreases the likelihood of Closing the Gap.
 The failure of the justice system towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders identified by
Bill Shorten affects all Australians. Explain why this is the case.