The ACT Legislative Assembly’s Public Accounts and Administration Committee has today handed down the final report from its inquiry into Thomas Emerson MLA's Public Sector (Closing the Gap) Legislation Amendment Bill 2025, recommending that the Assembly pass the legislation with three amendments.

The report recommends amending the legislation so that the obligations on public servants in relation to Closing the Gap only apply to members of the senior executive service, postponing the commencement of the legislation until 1 July 2026, and for a review to be conducted 12 months after that date. 

Mr Emerson welcomed the Committee’s recommendations, and said he had prepared amendments to address them which he intended to circulate tomorrow. 

“The inquiry heard a resounding message in stakeholders’ submissions and in the testimony of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members, including a senior public servant: the ACT Government’s commitments to systemic reform under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap have not been fulfilled,” said Mr Emerson.

“20 years after we first started talking about Closing the Gap, any further delay is completely unacceptable. This bill can mark a turning point for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the ACT, and I expect to see it passed this year.”

The Committee also recommended that the Assembly consider supporting minor technical amendments, but did not specify any particular amendments that were needed.

Mr Emerson said it was disappointing that, despite the ACT Government signalling it wanted to make further amendments to the legislation, those amendments had not been prepared in time for the Committee to scrutinise them. In evidence given on 9 October, the inquiry heard that the ACT Government was yet to engage with the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body and the local First Nations community about the bill, despite it having been introduced in June.

“The Government needs to circulate any proposed amendments promptly,” said Mr Emerson.

“I won’t be supporting changes that aren’t supported by the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. Technical amendments can have a significant impact, and the Assembly should be wary of any proposals that might water down the significant increases in government accountability sought by this bill.”

Mr Emerson called on his Assembly colleagues to heed the Committee’s recommendation to support the bill.

“The Government has made a lot of promises to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Canberrans, and our community is watching and waiting. This is an opportunity to come together as an Assembly to make a firm commitment to actually follow through on the promise to Close the Gap.”

Media Contact

Will Devine | [email protected] | 0402183296

Background:

You can find the Committee report here and learn more about the bill here.