The head of the peak body for Indigenous children says both political leaders' acknowledgement of the failure to close the gap is welcome, but more needs to be done, including visiting communities.
During a debate on Wednesday night, both Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton said, "neither side of politics has done well enough for First Nations people".
"That's just a fact and that's something that breaks my heart," the Prime Minister said.
Presented with several failed closing the gap figures, Mr Dutton said he echoed the PM's sentiment.
"I think it's heartbreaking to see those figures," he said.
Speaking to ABC on Thursday, the chief executive of SNAICC, Catherine Liddle, said it was "great to see the acknowledgement that they haven't stepped up to the mark in the way they should have".
"I think most people would have also heard at that point in time, a significant gap in them creating the pathway that would then enable us to actually build the programs, build the policies that would close the gap," she said.
The latest Closing the Gap figures revealed only five of the 19 metrics are on target, with a backwards slide in the rate of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care (OOHC), youth incarceration, and suicide rates.
"We know that both sides of politics four years ago signed up to the national agreement on Closing the Gap," Ms Liddle said.
"That was the piece where they said, 'we've stuffed this, we acknowledge we've stuffed this, and we're going to get better outcomes if we truly work alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people'."
On the failure of both leaders to visit a remote Indigenous community this election, she said talking to Indigenous people was "fundamental to being able to create appropriate policies".
"You cannot, in a leadership position, come up with promises or commitments or policies or programs if you haven't gone and consulted with the community who is suffering in the first place, who will be the beneficiaries of a program," Ms Liddle said.
"Who will be the people who, in the end, determine whether or not that policy has worked?"
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Both leaders have visited the NT in recent months, but not since the election was called. Asked if she would like to see them in the Red Centre, Ms Liddle said she would "like to see it, and when they do, I would like to see them talking to community".
"Not just a few people, actually talk to community about what's happening, what we need, and how we might work together. It would be an incredible opportunity," she said.
Highlighting the lack of visitation in contrast with the rates of children in OOHC and youth justice, which she labelled a "national disgrace," the Arrernte/Luritja woman from Central Australia said to both leaders: "Come on, step up, lead, go and talk to the people you need to be speaking to."
Last year, the Productivity Commission recommended governments recognise the expertise of Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations (ACCO's) in what works for their communities, arguing that the old ways had failed.
However, opposition spokesperson for Indigenous affairs, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, has argued Indigenous-led organisations and solutions shouldn't be solely tasked with helping to close the gap.
"The Productivity Commission can make all the suggestions they want, but it is such that we should stop treating Australians on the basis of race and start treating the need…supporting those programs that are actually providing outcomes," she said last year.
Ms Liddle argued ACCOs who are being tasked with helping communities in the coal face, "are actually starting to get some incredible wins on the board", noting evidence from the Productivity Commission was clear.
"...we are getting incredible gains when the government commits to the priority reforms on closing the gap, where it truly budges, when it truly invests in change," she said.
Asked about the impacts on Indigenous people after the referendum, Ms Liddle said the portfolio became a hot potato, with people afraid to touch it and "be tainted with that poison chalice".
"It's not true," she argued. "If you're a leader, your job is to step up. Your job is to not play games with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
"These are the lives of our children. These are the lives of our families. This is investments into community."
