The quality of life of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is a matter of national urgency that all Australians want addressed and remedied.
The Ministerial Council for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs (MCATSIA) is charged by the Council of Australian Governments with ensuring that all levels of government, that is national, state and territory and local, work together to improve the life and well-being of Australia’s Indigenous people. The challenges for MCATSIA are many and varied as each state and territory has its own specific circumstances, however the outcomes for Indigenous people are universal in both problem and solution.
The 2007 Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage Report is a stark reminder of the realities for many of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The MCATSIA is using the report as the prime driver for its agenda and identifying priority focus areas for action. All members of MCATSIA are committed to working with each other and with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to achieve standards of living that are equal to non-Indigenous Australians.