The Albanese Government must take action to fix its unfair social safety net and address the gap in life expectancy.

 Every person deserves to retire with dignity. Because of the gap in life expectancy, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are being denied equal access to the age pension, preventing them from accessing fundamental support later in life.

Last year, proud Wakka Wakka man Uncle Dennis brought a legal challenge against the Australian Government with support from the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service and the Human Rights Law Centre. Together, we called for fair and equal access to the age pension for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Despite recognising the ongoing gap in life expectancy, the Federal Court did not accept that Australia’s racial discrimination laws should give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people earlier access to the age pension. This week, the High Court declined to hear an appeal from the Federal Court’s decision.

Data released in November last year showed the gap in life expectancy between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous people is widening, rather than closing.

Now, the Albanese Government must take action to fix its unfair social safety net and address the gap in life expectancy. We will continue working alongside our partners and strong advocates like Dennis to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have fair access to the age pension.  

This case and Uncle Dennis’s powerful advocacy shone a light on the ongoing impacts of colonisation and discrimination that are still contributing to the widening gap in life expectancy between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.

“More than a decade ago, Australian governments promised to “Close the Gap”, but we are not making much progress. They are all talk and no action. If it were the other way around, and white people were dying too young, they would have fixed this already.  

This case was asking the Government to work together with us, to give our people the same chance in life as everyone else.  The pension is an important part of caring for and looking after our people when they can’t work anymore. 

I took this legal action because I wanted to stand up for my people. I am disappointed that the court won’t hear our case, but we will keep fighting because truth and accountability are important.” 

-Proud Wakka Wakka man Uncle Dennis

We are deeply proud to have supported Uncle Dennis’ case and to be working with the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service. We will continue supporting the calls of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for fair access to the age pension and real action from the Government to achieve equal life expectancy.