The Closing the Gap strategy has failed to achieve many of the outcomes set a decade ago, Ken Wyatt concedes, although he insists there have been some wins for indigenous Australians.
In the Kimberley vaccinations are at 100 per cent, says the minister for indigenous health.
"Where in the country has that?" he said on Sky News on Sunday.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will hand down the 10th annual report card on the strategy on Monday amid expectations it will again show slow progress.
Mr Wyatt believes there are a number of reasons for this, including the way services are delivered by the state and territory governments from the funding provided by the commonwealth.
"There has been a change of government since the original signing of the agreement and new people always bring a different perspective," he added.
Labor's indigenous affairs spokesman Pat Dodson believes the problem is a lack of funding commitment and ten years was too long before reporting back.
"It could have been done earlier, it should have been done earlier," the indigenous senator told Sky News.
Mr Wyatt said it was difficult to ensure funding ends up with the frontline services.
"If it is going to administration then it means is not getting the impact on the ground which is where we need it," he said.
Senator Dodson agreed, adding indigenous people want to be part of the way services are delivered.
"There is a serious question of trust by the first nation's peoples ... because they don't feel they are getting a fair say," he said.
He said the government badly handled its response to the Uluru statement, which called for an indigenous voice in the parliament.
Both MPs said acting on indigenous disadvantage was more important that changing the date of Australia Day.
"It's a question of how do we bring justice to indigenous peoples of this nation," Senator Dodson said, adding there would always be contention around symbolic dates.
"Even changing Australia Day is not going to change what happens to our people at the community level or to families," Mr Wyatt added.
