National Indigenous Health Leadership Alliance (NIHLA)
NIHLA Urges Health Reform With New Government
The National Indigenous Health Leadership Alliance (NIHLA) extends its congratulations to the newly elected Government and Parliament and looks forward to continuing strong, constructive engagement with all political parties to improve the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
We reaffirm our commitment to work alongside governments to transform Australia’s healthcare system so that it is culturally safe, responsive, and delivers real outcomes — not just promises — for our communities.
NIHLA urges all elected leaders to uphold and strengthen bipartisan support for the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, particularly its Priority Reform Areas which remain critical to genuine, lasting change. These reforms must not remain words on paper — they must be actively and consistently implemented across all government portfolios and departments.
As we have highlighted in recent statements and our recent 2025 Senate Inquiry submission:
As affirmed by the Productivity Commission and the Close the Gap Campaign, governments must stop treating the National Agreement on Closing the Gap Priority Reforms as aspirational statements. These are commitments to change how governments work, not just what governments fund.
Karl Briscoe, Chair of NIHLA, has consistently stated: “Where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have driven the implementation of the Priority Reform Areas in our communities, we have seen real progress. This demonstrates the power of our leadership when governments listen, trust, and act in good faith”.
We call on the incoming Parliament to:
The path forward requires courage, trust, and partnership. NIHLA is ready to work with all parties in building a stronger, fairer, and culturally safer health system — for all.
About us:
The National Indigenous Health Leadership Alliance, formerly known as the National Health Leadership Forum, is a partnership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing organisations, whose purpose is to drive systemic and structural change of the mainstream health system, including institutional racism in alignment with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan and other health strategies. As a partnership we hold expertise across health, aged care and disability politic and service delivery, as well as workforce, research, organisational and business development, healing, mental health, and social, cultural and social emotional wellbeing.