ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author considers some different approaches to analysing the social dynamics of Indigenous health policy and their relative merits. He briefly develops a historical and political context of contemporary Indigenous health policy. The focus of this overview is primarily on Commonwealth structures and processes, but also considers the influence of federalism and the changing constitutional arrangements in the areas of health and Indigenous affairs. In the decades following the 1967 referendum, the Commonwealth made a number of different attempts to build processes and structures through which Indigenous people could be engaged in policy process (such as the National Indigenous Council 1975—84; National Indigenous Consultative Committee 1975–84; ATSIC 1989–2004; and the National Indigenous Council 2004–). The overview of the changing relationship between the Commonwealth and Indigenous health reveals a particular slice of the political dynamics in this sector. It particularly demonstrates the role of one set of corporate interests, as per S. Duckett’s structural interests framework.
