In a country as rich and fair as Australia, everyone deserves the right to a healthy future and the opportunities this affords. But Australia’s universal health system has been failing First Australians for far too long.

Despite a commitment past decade by every major political party to deliver health equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, the gap in life expectancy and other health outcomes has been widening.

As a supporter of the Close the Gap campaign, I demand that political parties commit to:

• Unfreeze funding for Aboriginal Medical Services and invest $100 million in a four year capacity building program to fill the highest priority service gaps
• Establish an Aboriginal Health Authority to oversee service delivery in the mainstream system
• Invest in healthy housing for Aboriginal communities by recommitting to a 10 year National Partnership Agreement on Remote Indigenous Housing, and reinstate the Housing for Health program to help eradicate third world diseases.