Western Australia's John Curtin put it bluntly, "politics is a generic name given to the art of government."

We know there is good art and there is bad art. For too long the art of Australian politics has been bad art. Art that you would be embarrassed to hang anywhere in your house.

That changed this year with the election of the Albanese Government. Here in Western Australia, we have been central to painting a new national picture.

And it's a big picture.

Joint Council members were welcomed to Gadigal Country by Brendan Kerin of the Sydney Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council.

Joint Council members shared updates on Closing the Gap and outlined strategies for embedding the Priority Reforms in 2023 within their respective jurisdictions, with a particular focus on Priority Reform Three – Transforming Government Organisations.

Members considered and approved the establishment of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages Policy Partnership and a Housing Policy Partnership.

TOM CONNELL, HOST: Well, you've seen all the various year in reviews. You've wondered how Australian politics is in 2022. There's only one take you need, though, and that's from Patrick Gorman and Jason Falinski. They join me, my panel, for the final time in 2022. Gentlemen, thank you both for your time. But we'll get a little bit I'm not quite sentimental, I suppose, but retrospective in a moment. But we've got big news that I said first of all, Patrick Gorman, Kevin Rudd, your former boss, US ambassador to Washington. It's an interesting appointment, isn't it?

BEN FRANKLIN, NSW MINISTER FOR ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS: Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us here at the Joint Council on Closing the Gap. We are particularly honoured to host this extraordinary and important event in Sydney. This is a meeting between obviously the Federal Minister and all State Ministers for Aboriginal and Indigenous Affairs, along with representatives from the Coalition of Peak Aboriginal Organisations in the nation.

The Australian Government is funding 52 new health infrastructure projects across the country – building and renovating clinics, improving staff housing and building the capacity of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled health sector.

As Co-Chairs of Joint Council on Closing the Gap, the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney and the Lead Convener of the Coalition of the Peaks, Pat Turner, will jointly announce more than $120 million for major capital works at community‑controlled organisations.

The Australian Government is funding 52 new health infrastructure projects across the country – building and renovating clinics, improving staff housing and building the capacity of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled health sector.

As Co-Chairs of Joint Council on Closing the Gap, the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney and the Lead Convener of the Coalition of the Peaks, Pat Turner, will jointly announce more than $120 million for major capital works at community‑controlled organisations.

The Australian Government will invest $2.8 million into a partnership with the Northern Territory Government to pave the way for Indigenous-led marine park management in the south-west Gulf of Carpentaria.

This partnership delivers on an election commitment to support Traditional Owners of the Limmen Bight region to work with both levels of government to protect the unique natural and cultural values of Sea Country in the Limmen Bight.

On Tuesday, 13 December 2022, the Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Attorney General, the Special Envoy for Reconciliation and the Implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and the Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians met with the Referendum Engagement Group (the Group) for the second time.

The Group discussed the significant progress made by the Government towards holding a referendum on an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice in the second half of 2023.

For too long, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and businesses have been disadvantaged by the sale of inauthentic arts and crafts, which leads to cultural and economic harm.

The Albanese Government is committed to fixing this and has today welcomed the Productivity Commission's final report onAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual arts and crafts.

On Monday 12 December 2022, the Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Attorney-General, the Special Envoy for Reconciliation and the Implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and the Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians met with the Referendum Working Group (the Working Group) at Parliament House in Canberra.