The next Federal Parliament will be faced with significant challenges as Australians battle a cost-of-living crisis, reduced social cohesion and the impact of international uncertainty and political upheaval. 

Reconciliation provides a strong foundation for a unified society. 

Reconciliation has always had multi-party support, and the next Federal Government, working across the parliament, must place the key tenets of reconciliation at the heart of its work.  

The incoming government must show determined leadership in Australia’s reconciliation journey.  

Reconciliation Australia proposes foundational action areas that the Federal Government must take into the next term to set our course towards a reconciled nation that benefits all Australians. 

These include: 

• the establishment of a Makarrata Commission 

• continued investment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander legal services 

• continual investment in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations 

• support a new funding model for Aboriginal community-controlled early education  

• invest in the future of Reconciliation Australia’s Narragunnawali: Reconciliation in Education program 

• invest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander legal services 

• actively develop economic opportunities for First Nations people and businesses through a national macroeconomic development policy.
  

See our full 2025 Election Statement.

The incoming government must ensure this journey is framed by unity and strength, not division and hesitancy.  

We remind all public figures that divisive commentary and behaviour − especially during election campaigns − fuels distress and disengagement. 

The next Federal Government must continue to take steps to ensure the full and equitable participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the economic, social and cultural life of Australia. 

Government policies must enable conditions for self-determination and uphold the unique rights of Aboriginal and Torres Islander peoples as outlined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). 

Above all, government policies must reflect the reality that First Nations peoples and communities know best what works and what the solutions are.