The minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy, has spoken to the ABC’s Sabra Lane ahead of Anthony Albanese delivering the Closing the Gap target update later today in parliament.

McCarthy said the government will be announcing price caps on 30 essential products in 76 remote stores to try and bring some cost parity for groceries in remote communities.

We’re talking about a list of core essential items that were actually put together by the food security working group that gives me advice, and we looked at items like flour, like milk, tin, tuna, rice, bread, cereal, canned meals, you know, to fresh fruit, apples, oranges, bananas, to toiletries with toilet rolls, nappies, baby formula. So there is a list of 30 items there that we are focused on, and certainly the Prime Minister is very supportive of, as we look at trying to reduce the cost of living issues in regional and remote Australia.”