Senator Lidia Thorpe says the Prime Minister’s speech acknowledging racism and white supremacy must be matched with action, warning that the Albanese government’s Closing the Gap plan fails to address racism.

Responding to the Prime Minister’s pushback on describing Closing the Gap as a “failure”, Senator Thorpe said the failure lies with governments, not First Peoples.

The Senator is calling on the Albanese Government to immediately implement the National Anti-Racism Framework and introduce enforceable accountability measures within Closing the Gap, including financial penalties for jurisdictions that breach targets.

The National Anti-Racism Framework, developed by the Australian Human Rights Commission with funding from the Albanese Government, sets out a whole-of-society plan to tackle racism across government, justice, health, education, media and workplaces. First Peoples’ perspectives were central to its development. The Government received the Framework in November 2024 and has not provided a formal response.

While welcoming additional funding for 13YARN, Senator Thorpe said crisis responses alone will not reverse worsening outcomes, and urgent action is needed to address root causes of racism rather than just its impacts.

Quotes attributable to Lidia Thorpe, Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung independent Victorian Senator:

"Today the Prime Minister is calling out the racism and white supremacy that First Peoples face. But this year’s Closing the Gap plan does nothing concrete to address racism.

Albanese needs to put his money where his mouth is and implement the National Anti-Racism Framework.

His government received that report more than a year ago and hasn’t even provided a formal response, let alone begun implementing its recommendations.

This lack of response does not square with his words today. We need less talk from this government. We need action.

When I talk about the ‘failure’ of Closing the Gap, I am not talking about the failure of First Peoples. I am talking about the failure of governments. The failure of the Albanese Government to show any real commitment to strong action. 

As Rosalie Kunoth-Monks said, we are not the problem. I’m talking about your failure, Prime Minister.

It’s good to see 13YARN receive more funding. But 13YARN is a crisis hotline. It’s the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. It is not addressing the root problem. The fact that 13YARN needs more funding illustrates the problem.

We know 13YARN has seen spikes in demand after the failed Voice referendum and after racist white supremacist rallies. That tells us that racism is real and rising.

Research shows that everyday racism accounts for nearly half of the mental health gap between First Peoples and non-Indigenous people.

Rising racism in schools is driving psychological harm and school refusal, and creating environments where First Nations children are disproportionately expelled and suspended. That dramatically increases their risk of child removal, criminalisation and suicide. Racism is clearly linked to the lack of progress on Closing the Gap targets.

If Albanese is serious about Closing the Gap, he must confront racism as a structural force driving child removal, criminalisation, incarceration and suicide, all of which are going backwards.

This also means confronting the racism and harm First Peoples experience at the hands of the state – in child removal, in policing, in prisons and in the devastating numbers of deaths in custody.

We have just recorded the highest number of Aboriginal deaths in custody since 1979. Incarceration rates are rising. Child removals remain unacceptably high. Our people are taking their lives in devastating numbers. That is not success.

The Commonwealth has the power to legislate minimum standards, to implement financial penalties, and to pull states into line. If Albanese refuses to use those powers, he is part of the problem. 

Closing the Gap has just become about bandaid solutions and is not addressing root causes. It will not succeed unless racism is tackled head on."