Unprecedented change under way as First Nations people take a seat at the table By Pat Turner Normal text size Advertisement Each year in February, the Prime Minister delivers a statement in Parliament accounting to the nation for the status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and outlines what more is needed to “close the gap”. It is a time when our country looks in the mirror and confronts our different status – a status that shows wide gaps between the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians. Over the past two years, a movement has been under way to change how the nation approaches these gaps. It started when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled bodies stood up and called for shared decision making with governments. We knew that having a seat at the table where decisions were being made was vital. And we knew that our voice needed to be equal to the voice of governments.