The ALP's decimation of the Liberal / National parties and the breakup of the Coalition partnership should signal a turning point in Indigenous affairs.

Labor has long stood with Aboriginal people, supporting land rights, constitutional recognition and the right to self-determination. Under Prime Minister Rudd, Labor reversed a decision of the former Coalition government to oppose the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and made a historic apology to the Stolen Generations. Change was on the horizon.

Yet concerningly, there is no indication the Albanese government will act courageously or decisively to continue to support Indigenous rights, the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and Voice, Treaty and Truth.

The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples also requires urgent implementation, but we're not seeing progress towards the national action plan urged by the Senate Inquiry of 2023.

Instead, we have commitments to 'practical reforms' and 'practical reconciliation'. If you have a sense of deja vu, it's because we've been here before. This approach is Liberal Party policy from the early 2000s. The language encompasses the closing the gap arrangements and economic empowerment.

Business and wealth creation for a few is being prioritised over Indigenous people's rights, with no evidence to show that increasing Aboriginal businesses' wealth alone will Close the Gap on Indigenous disadvantage.

There is no evidence that supporting economic empowerment for a minority will address the severity of Aboriginal incarceration, child removals, suicides, and violence against Aboriginal women which continue to rise under the current policies.

The "nation-building" theories imported into Australia from the United States and Canada are founded on the inspiring achievements of Indigenous-owned enterprises in North America. But these enterprises thrive due to stronger Indigenous rights and recognition - and even these relatively wealthy North American Indigenous Nations struggle with poverty, disadvantage and violence.

Minister Malarndirri McCarthy should be calling a national summit with Indigenous leaders for an honest conversation about this government's commitment to political participation, agreement making, a more inclusive Australian history as set down in the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and Indigenous rights under international law.

This is the standard process I witnessed in British Columbia, Canada - a First Nations Crown summit.

The state of federal Indigenous affairs as I recently witnessed at the UN Permanent Forum for Indigenous Issues in New York is disheartening. The Australian delegation of government representatives proceeded to tell the world that Australia is making great progress in Indigenous affairs, citing investments but failing to acknowledge that we are failing to engage in systemic reforms and rights that are essential.

As an expert member for the Forum, I intervened and spoke of the serious issues with which we are confronted, including the current Early Warning Urgent Action communication to the UN Committee on the Elimination for Race Discrimination about the serious violation of child rights across the country.

We are seeing increasing attempts by government to employ and fund Aboriginal people to promote a positive image of Australia and silence critical Aboriginal voices.

The UN Declaration is very clear that we have the right to our own institutions and representative bodies and to choose our own representatives: Articles 18 and 19.

The colonial tactic of 'divide and conquer' is very much the playbook of modern Australia politics. Aboriginal people are being kept busy fighting each other as our rights agenda, and our future, is steadily eroded.

Yet, we have a sacred responsibility to continue a proud struggle for justice in our own country. The situation is especially severe now for Aboriginal children experiencing systemic race discrimination and human rights abuse across the country under regressive crime laws. These laws are being passed at the same time as the Justice Policy Partnership, which is clearly failing. Consequently, the UN is now taking Australia to task over shocking breaches of binding international human rights law.

As the Uluru Statement from the Heart said:

"Our children are alienated from their families at unprecedented rates. This cannot be because we have no love for them. And our youth languish in detention in obscene numbers. They should be our hope for the future."

It's time we prioritise the children, and legitimate systems reforms, over questionable policies aimed exclusively at creating individual wealth.

This is a matter of human rights for our children who deserve nothing less.

Dr Hannah McGlade is a Kurin Minang human rights expert, law academic and member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.