The Northern Territory Government has failed to appear at today’s youth justice inquiry in Darwin.
The NT Attorney-General, Department of Children and Families, Department of Corrections, Department of Education and NT Police were among those invited but did not attend.
No ministers, departments or agencies fronted the inquiry. Senator Thorpe has said this amounts to an act of contempt.
The Northern Territory Government has failed to appear at today’s youth justice inquiry in Darwin.
The NT Attorney-General, Department of Children and Families, Department of Corrections, Department of Education and NT Police were among those invited but did not attend.
No ministers, departments or agencies fronted the inquiry. Senator Thorpe has said this amounts to an act of contempt.
Quotes attributable to Lidia Thorpe, Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung independent Victorian Senator:
"It is completely unacceptable that the Northern Territory Government has boycotted this inquiry and refused to face scrutiny.
This is an act of contempt towards the young people whose lives are on the line.
We know Aboriginal children are being targeted and harmed by the NT’s youth justice system. The NT Government has chosen to hide instead of answer for its actions.
The absence of any ministers or agency officials shows a blatant disregard for accountability.
The Commonwealth is pouring more than $200 million into the NT Police, despite repeated evidence of racism and abuse in that force.
This funding comes with conditions around cultural competency training for police officers and Aboriginal employment. But there is no transparency about whether these targets are being met, while the money continues to flow.
I do not support this funding. But if the Federal Government insists on funding the NT Police, then it must at the very least demand public accountability.
The Minister for Indigenous Australians, who is also a Senator for the Territory, cannot stay silent on this. The Commonwealth must make it clear to the NT Government that this behaviour will not be tolerated.
If the NT Government refuses to be accountable, then the Commonwealth should withhold funding until it does.
Every goverment in this country is happy subject our children to torture and abuse in prisons. Today we've seem one too cowardly to face questions about it.
We know the NT government is the problem, not our children. And yet the NT government couldn't even come to the table to be part of the solutions.
They cannot keep making decisions about our children while refusing to answer for the harm being done."