The closing the gap numbers reveal a "year of betrayal," independent senator Lidia Thorpe says.
Speaking on the day the government announced a raft of measures to combat Indigenous disadvantage with only five of the 19 closing the targets on track, the Victorian senator said the partnership was "collapsing," citing a number of jurisdictions which had "demonstrated they have no interest in engaging in good faith to achieve targets".
"This time last year, the Productivity Commission delivered a damning assessment of Closing the Gap, and called for an overhaul of how First Nations policy is developed and implemented," Senator Thorpe said.
"A year later, things have gotten worse. It has been a year of betrayal, delay, and deflection."
She argued the gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people were widening because governments were "intentionally widening them".
Last week, data from the productivity commission revealed the horrific rate of youth and adult Indigenous incarceration, as well as the disproportionate number of First Nations children in out-of-home care.
The lead convenor of the Coalition of Peaks, Pat Turner, told reporters there was a "significant correlation between children in [the] out-of-home care and children who then progress into the juvenile justice system".
"I wouldn't say justice, but juvenile detention centres anyway," Ms Turner added.
On Monday, the government announced a raft of measures to support First Nations people in remote communities.
The federal government has routinely attempted to paint youth justice as a responsibility for the states and territories, but have faced criticism from experts over the number of jurisdictions introducing policies which have seen a dramatic increase in child prison numbers.
Senator Thorpe said the federal government needed to take a "much stronger approach to hold the states and territories to account".
"The government must take much stronger action to stop the abuse and discrimination being perpetrated against First Peoples," she said.
"We need a government who truly is committed and not just providing lip service."
Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, reiterated on Monday she, along with the Coalition of Peaks, met with Indigenous Affairs ministers in Perth in November, asking each minister to look at the issue of remand - incarceration when denied bail - and "what kind of options we can provide for our young people".
She told reporters the Labor government has been "able to appoint a First Nations children's commissioner whose role is to actually work with the states and territories and also the children's commission across each jurisdiction, because we are concerned about the higher rates of out of home care and detention".
Senator Thorpe argued since the meeting, "we've instead seen states introduce policies to hold more children on remand".
"Labor Premiers Jacinta Allan and Chris Minns have both taken steps to make it more difficult for people to receive bail. In Queensland it is now harder to get bail as a child than as an adult," she argued.
"We are also seeing moves in the NT to dismantle the child placement principle, which is in place to keep our children connected to family, culture and kin."
The Opposition were also vocal in their criticism of the government around closing the gap, with Senator Michaelia Cash reiterating the comments of opposition Indigenous spokesperson Jacinta Nampijinpa Price in calling for an audit into Indigenous organisations and criticising the abolition of the cashless debit card.
However, Ms Turner, responding to comments from Peter Dutton that the Stolen Generations ended in 1970, was firm in her condemnation.
"Well, it didn't," Ms Turner said. "It's still going on today."
She said First Nations people "feel it even worse in these tough economic times" but noted, "our responsibility in terms of contributions to Closing the Gap".
"Now's the time for the rubber to hit the road and for all governments to invest the money at the community level to see the programs hastened," Ms Turner said.
