A new opinion poll conducted for Amnesty International has found that 70 percent of Australians believe improving the living conditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be a high or very high priority for the Federal Government.

However, the survey also found that over half of all respondents - 58 percent - said Australian politicians do not know enough about Indigenous history and culture to develop effective policy for Indigenous people. Slightly over half of those surveyed - 52 percent - said Australian politicians had not learned from past successes and failures in Indigenous policy making.

The Nielsen survey was conducted nationally from 13-15 August with 1,400 respondents aged 18 and over.

“These are really important findings which show clearly that most Australians want to see the Federal Government take a new approach to improve the situation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in this country,” said Rodney Dillon, Amnesty International’s Indigenous Rights Coordinator.

“The poll shows that most people simply don’t have faith that politicians know what they’re doing when they devise policy on Indigenous matters. This reinforces our view that the only way to make effective policy in this area is through real knowledge and understanding of Indigenous culture, and real partnerships with Indigenous people themselves.”

The Amnesty International opinion poll also found that only about a third of those surveyed - 36 percent - believed the Federal Government was doing enough to close the health, housing and educational gap between Indigenous and other Australians. Access to such services is a fundamental human right.

More than half those surveyed - 57 percent - felt that the living conditions of some Indigenous people is negatively affecting Australia’s reputation overseas.

“Just last week the United Nations said once again that Australia was not living up to its international human rights obligations regarding Indigenous people,” said Rodney Dillon. “This opinion poll shows that most Australians are aware of the huge gap in living conditions between Indigenous people and others in this country and of how this is being seen overseas.”

The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of Indigenous people, Professor James Anaya, last week completed a 12-day visit to Australia. In his preliminary findings, he noted that a more holistic approach is needed to effectively address Indigenous disadvantage in this country. He also said that a real partnership is required between the Government and Indigenous people, one that ensures meaningful, direct participation of Aboriginal people in the design of programs and policies that affect their lives.

“The Amnesty International opinion poll clearly reinforces the findings of the UN Special Rapporteur and makes it clear that the Government has to use a new approach to addressing Indigenous issues in this country,” said Rodney Dillon. “People have seen though the flawed, failed way governments have operated in this regard in the past.”